The Agent and the Elf
by ntdfbladez
Summary: A young elf finds herself saved by the enemy. The urge to repay a debt changes the course of her life.
1. Chapter 1

Verielle stumbled blindly through the dead thicket. Separated from her caravan and alone, tears streamed down her face. The Scourge had attacked suddenly and brutally, showing no remorse as they mowed down the guards. The Scourge remnants here didn't usually attack in such a coordinated method - a necromancer must have been pulling the strings.

She continued to run as fast as she could, trying to get away. Her body was covered with numerous cuts and bruises from her mad scramble through the dead and dried thicket. Sweat and blood got in her eyes and she never saw the low hanging branch that struck her in the forehead. All she saw was the branches and the night sky as she fell to the ground prone.

Stunned, the young blood elf lay there gasping for breath as the new pain in her forehead blossomed into existence. The still night air was cold and chilled her sweat drenched body even further and she began to shiver.

A shambling noise came from the direction she had been running from. Barely able to move, she turned her head towards the sound and instantly regretted it. She was being hunted.

"Hunted" may not be the right term to describe it. The animated corpse that stumbled her way was simply following the smell of blood. Used to eating long dead corpses, fresh elf-blood enticed it. It stumbled numbly towards the fallen elf girl, its eyes aglow with the necromantic energies that animated it.

Despite being scared out of her wits and on the brink of collapse, Verielle strained herself to crawl away. Still the zombie lurched forward, sensing the distress in the elf's movements. It suddenly bound forward and grabbed her leg. Verielle screamed as the zombie picked her up and went to bite down on her neck.

So focuses on its meal of opportunity that it did not notice the dagger until it was planted between its eyes. Shocked, it dropped the elf and bellowed in rage. It ripped the dagger free and through it to ground, looking around to see the source of the attack.

Verielle looked up, just in time to see a flurry of attacks strike the zombie. From the shadows emerged a tall figure clad in black, slashing and bloodying the zombie. He slammed his two daggers into the zombie's back then ducked low to avoid the massive claws it swung back at him. Leaving the daggers where they had struck, the figure drew a pair of swords and slashed across the undead's chest. The zombie tried to dodge out of the way but the daggers in its back kept it from moving fast enough. The assailant lunged forward, leading with his right blade. The zombie struck at it but it was only a feint. The left sword came in swiftly and took off the zombie's clawed hands. It stood there for a few moments, ichor dripping from countless wounds. The black-clad figure stepped forwards and brought his swords to bear across the undead's midsection. Too badly damaged, the unholy light in its eyes faded as the dark magics that held it together were dispelled, and the zombie crumbled into a lifeless heap on the ground.

Verielle could scarcely believe it. She was saved! This rogue had come to rescue her! Her happiness was short lived, as the figure removed his mask. There was no mistaking the human face as he reached down to retrieve his weapons. Inspecting them for damage, he sheathed his weapons and turned to the elf. Seized with a new fear, she started to gasp uncontrollably.

No no no! she thought to herself. A human, here?!

Humans were reviled by the Sin'dorei - most of them thought they were to blame for all the plights and persecution that had befallen them. The fear and hatred of humans flowed through her now, as this one approached. But she was too weak to resist. What would he do? Had he saved her only to kill her? Or did he have other plans for her? She shuddered in fear at the thought.

The tall man took a knee next to the frightened elf. His alien features made her even more afraid. She slowly reached for her as she finally succumbed to her exhaustion, and the world around her went dark.

* * *

Zeklor was having a hell of time.

"'Go to the Ghostlands!' they said! 'Find the hidden treasures of the Amani' they said! By Sargeras's flaming beard they should have warned me this place was crawling with so many blasted undead!" He grumbled as he lurked in the shadows.

Zeklor, or Zek as he was commonly known, had arrived in the Plaguelands weeks before. A couple of Steamwheedle goblins had hired - no, tricked! - him into taking this foolhardy mission. Having only been here a few days, he was certain there were no troll riches to be found. If there were, there were too many undead to dig through to find them!

A noise from a nearby thicket startled him. He ducked down to the base of a nearby tree and kept his eyes trained on the direction of the sound. The underbrush rustled some more, and a young blood elf female stumbled out. She was young, by Zek's estimation, even by human standards. She was covered in cuts from running through the dense thicket. She kept glancing behind her and didn't notice the low hanging branch.

Zek winced as she fell back towards the ground and lay there, shivering. Only then did Zek notice whom - or what - she appeared to have been running from. Following her trail through the thicket was a lumbering zombie. Stupid, but lethal. The elf saw the zombie's proximity and tried to desperately crawl away. Suddenly the zombie pounced forward and grabbed the girl by leg. She was screaming as it lifting her up and went for her throat.

Zek didn't accurately recall how long the string of obscenities was that escaped his lips as he surged forward. He launched a throwing dagger straight at the zombie's head, scoring a hit. Enraged, it dropped the elf and clawed at its face trying to dislodge the offending implement. Stepping through shadow Zek launched a flurry of attacks on the undead. His daggers whipped back and forth across the zombie's animated corpse, bloodying it all over. Maneuvering behind his target, he aimed his daggers at a precise point and plunged them into the undead's back.

The zombie twisting around to swing at him, but Zek anticipated that would happen and had already ducked. He drew his swords from his sides and took advantage of the monster's opening to slash at its chest. The zombie tried to dodge back but Zek's daggers had done their job - locked the creature's hips and inhibited movement. Still the slashes weren't enough to do any serious damage. Zek lunged forward with a main hand feint. Falling for it, the zombie swiped at Zek, which enabled him to strike with his offhand blade, taking the zombies arms off at below the elbow.

The creature stood there in shock, as its blood-like ichor dripped from its wounds. Smirking under his cowl, Zek brought his blades to bear across the midsection of the beast, finishing it. As the magic faded its body crumbled to the ground, lifeless once more.

Sighing, Zek pulled his hood down and shook the sweat out of his hair. He knelt down to retrieve his - thankfully undamaged! - daggers. Sheathing his weapons, he turned towards the elf.

She was staring at him with intense fear in her eyes. She was gasping for breath and shivering uncontrollably. Zek knelt down next to her with a concerned look on his face as he looked over her numerous cuts and bruises. As he looked her over she rolled her eyes back in up into her head and lost consciousness. Her breathing slowed but was still labored.

Zek looked up and took in his surroundings. The sounds of combat should have alerted any potential blood elf scouts but there were none that he could see or hear. From the looks of the young girl she wasn't a fighter - mostly likely part of a merchant caravan. He tried to recall the crude map he had seen of the area. There was a settlement known as Tranquillen somewhere in the middle of the Ghostlands with an outpost of sorts to the southeast of it. Neither would be an easy walk. She was likely a member of merchant caravan traveling with supplies to an outpost. Zek thought to himself. Their caravan must have been attacked and she got separated.

Night had already fallen and he didn't want to be left out in the open much longer. He reached into his pouches and pulled a roll of bandages. Working quickly, he wrapped up the elf's more serious cuts and scraps. He then picked her up - she was surprisingly light - and faded into the shadows. Over the next couple of hours he worked his way up into the foothills the thickets had been at the base of. He backtracked until he found the large rocky outcropping dotted with crimson crystals. Zek approached the rocks then gave them a swift kick.

"Wake up, Ruby!" he said loudly. The rocky formation shifted and moved as the volcanic stone drake uncurled itself and yawned. Stretching, she gave Zek a nod and then focused her attention on the bandaged elf in his arms. Sniffing at it, she gave him a quizzical look.

"I am NOT eating THAT!" the drake scoffed.

Zek rolled his eyes as he walked past the drake and into the small cave she had been concealing.

"She's not for eating, granite breath! She ran afoul of some undead. Must have gotten separated from her caravan." Zek said, and set her down on some bedding on the cave floor. He rummaged around in some of his packs and found his potion case. Opening the wooden box he pulled out a vial filled with a thick red fluid.

He broke the wax seal on the vial and removed the stopper. He gently lifted the girls head and slowly poured a small amount of the potion into her mouth. Color started returning to her face and her breathing became deeper and less ragged.

Zek continued to pour the healing potion into her mouth until she had taken it all. He set her head back down on the bedding, the covered her with a large fur cloak he used as a blanket. Ruby had returned to her previous position, sitting with her head in the small cave and leaving just enough of a gap to let the moonlight shine into the cave.

Zek motioned to a large stone laying next to Ruby. The drake leaned over and took the rock up in her jaws. Inhaling, she then used her dragon-breath to heat the rock until it glowed. She gingerly set the rock down and its heat began to radiate throughout the small cave.

Sitting across from the sleeping elf, Zek took his weapons out and began to clean the undead ichor from his blades. Ruby sat watching him as he worked quickly in the fading glow of the dragonfire heated rock.

"What of the girl?" she asked, as she laid her head down on her rocky foreclaws.

"Hadn't thought that far ahead. She'll make it through the night though. We can send her on her way tomorrow at first light." Zek said nonchalantly, applying a protective oil to his blades.

Ruby snorted. "That little thing? She won't last five minutes on her own down there! You are going to have to take her back to the Sin'dorei."

Zek looked up at the drake and raised his eyebrow. "And what do you propose I do after they find me and gut me? Kind of hard to find a troll treasure horde if my head is on a pike and the rest of me is zombie chow!"

Ruby rolled her reptilian eyes - a habit she had picked up from Zek. "You'll think of something. You ALWAYS think of something."

Settings his weapons aside he began to remove his leather armor. There was not enough light left to inspect the armor for damage, but he was fairly certain he would find none. Setting it neatly next to his weapons, he moved over to the entrance and sat down next to Ruby. Her skin was as hard as granite, but he had grown accustomed to it after their many years together. She turned her massive neck to form a nook he could lean on.

The light from the stone had all but gone out, but Zek could still see the elf in the moonlight. Her breathing was deep and regular. He WOULD think of something, eventually. He just hoped things didn't any more complicated. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back onto Ruby's neck and drifted off into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Verielle woke with a start. She had dreamed of her family - lost when the Scourge had destroyed Sunwell a decade ago. She had been a child but was not witness to most of the violence and bloodshed. Her father had been friends with the owner of a merchant ship and had sent her out to sea when news reached them the scourge were invading. When she had finally returned, her family was gone and devastation was all that had remained.

Waking up the events of the previous night flooded back to her. She instantly froze and looked about her surroundings. She was in a small cave, laid down in a makeshift bed with a fur cloak draped over her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see a few packs and some supplies towards the back. A bundle of armor sat next to some weapons nearby. She turned the front of the cave and froze. The human.

He was leaning up against a sort of stone that was in front of the cave, sleeping quietly. He was wearing only simple pants and a shirt. No weapons were in sight, save for the few against the wall. Suddenly the rock shifted. She suppressed a gasp as she realized it wasn't a rock but a stone dragon!

Slowly Verielle sat up, then becoming aware of the bandages wrapped around her arms and legs. The human must have done that...but why?

Quietly, as to not disturb her sleeping captors, she got up and crawled over to the weapons. There were two swords and a dagger in sheathes attached to a heavy weapon belt. Weapons were simple, but well maintained. The swords were too big for her to use so she reached over and pulled out the dagger.

"Stop. Touch not that." said a heavily accented voice in broken Thalassian. She whirled around and saw the human was awake and stretching. He gestured to the dagger in her hand.

"Sharp. Sickly." He said. He appeared to know only basic words in her language.

Sickly...she thought. She took a more careful look at the dagger. She then recognized small lines etched into metal. Poison channels.

So the blade was poisoned...that must mean he is afraid I'll kill him with it!

The elf took a defensive posture she had seen the guards on merchant ships use. She held the poisoned blade out in front of her. "What do you want, human scum?!" she snarled, trying her best to sound menacing. The human stared at her for a second and blinked. He then started chuckling. The drake lifted its head, disturbed by the commotion. Verielle gripped the dagger so firmly her knuckles were white. The poison might kill a human, but would probably be useless on the drake. However the drake just looked at Verielle, then back at the human. Said something to the human in the common tongue and laid its head back down, closing its eyes.

The human, still chuckling, leaned back against the drake yawned.

"Sleep most. Sun begins soon." he said as he closed his eyes.

As soon as his eyes closed, Verielle jumped forward, meaning to strike the rogue while his guard was down. However, without even opening his eyes he snapped his foot up and kicked the dagger out of her hand. It twirled through the air and he reached up and caught it deftly in his hand. His other hand then produced a second dagger. He sat there, against the dragon, eyes still closed and holding both daggers, much to the shock of the elf. Verielle stood there with her mouth open. She hadn't seen where he had hidden the other dagger. She couldn't understand the common tongue, but his posture told her everything she needed to know. He didn't have to pull the other dagger out to protect himself - he was doing it to warn her against further action. She slowly backed away back to the bedding and laid back down.

He smiled and slipped the daggers into his shirt - Verielle could make out a sort of leather harness underneath.

She couldn't sleep and lay there for the next hour. Soon daylight began to stream through past the drake's body and into cave. Without warning, the drake moved and slipped backwards and light flooded into the cave. The human fell backwards and knocked his head on the ground. He started yelling at the drake as it began to stretch itself outside. He stood up and spoke (or perhaps it was more of an argument, the way things sounded) with it for a few minutes. She - as Verielle had noticed - flapped her wings a few times then took off, disappearing from view. The human walked back into the cave, grumbling and rubbing his head. He looked down at the elf and seemed to ponder something, scratching his bearded face while he did.

"Lizard hunt. Food?" he asked her, breaking the silence.

By the Light his Thalassian was terrible she thought, but simply responded with "Yes."

Nodding, he went over to a pack and pulled out a small bag. He handed it to her. Inside was a variety of dried fruits and some jerky. He also handed her a skin of water. She ate and drank almost greedily - she had not realized how hungry she was. The human ate some bread he produced from his pack. He watched the elf with interest. Verielle became self-conscious of his gaze and began to eat more slowly, eying him as well. In the light, she was able to make out more details. He was taller than her by at least a foot. His dark hair reached down to almost his shoulders and he his face had a well-kept beard. He was big, but not overly muscled. His body was lean and looked well adept and sneaking. She realized that he was looking at her just as keenly. She felt her face flush slightly and turned away. He chuckled softly.

He stood up and began to strap on his armor and weapons. Verielle stared out of the cave entrance. She could see the woods of the Ghostlands below. She was to the south, further than she thought. They were probably in a cave in the foothills of the mountains that separate the elf lands from the Plaguelands.

"Pain?" the man asked her. She turned and saw he was motioning towards her bandaged areas.

She shook her head and he reached for her. She shied away from him as he did. He held his hands up. "Hurt not." he said gently. "Remove cloth."

Hesitantly she held her arm out and he began to remove the dirty bandages. Underneath most of her wounds had healed. He worked slowly and deliberately, checking every wound. He handled her gently, taking care not to make any sudden movements. There was only one gash on her leg that hadn't fully healed. He went back to his packs and pulled a wooden box out. From it he produced a small vial. Verielle recognized the deep red liquid contained within - a healing potion. Taking a small metal rod he pierced two holes in the sealed stopper of the vial. He then carefully dripped the healing draught on to the gash in her leg. She gritted her teeth as the healing potion set to work. It burned a little at first, then faded to a tingle as a cooling sensation passed through her. Satisfied with the effects, he removed the rest of the seal and handed her the rest of the potion. She sipped the bitter potion and its healing effects began to ease her soreness. The gash on her leg had faded to a light scar at this point - the rest of the potion was just to bolster her strength. After she finished, he took the empty vial and the used bandages and stuff them in a different pack. He looked around the cave for a few moments then motioned for Verielle to follow him.

Reluctantly, she stood and followed him outside. Overhead, she could see the drake circling lazily. She still had not found suitable prey it seemed. The man took a small mirror out of his pouch and held it up. He caught the sunlight with it flicked it towards the dragon in a pattern. In response, she noticed the dragon dips its wings as if acknowledging something.

The rogue replaced the mirror began to descend down the rocky slope.

"Follow." he called back to her. "Long walk"

* * *

Zek trekked through the woods at a steady pace. So far his companion had been able to keep up well. Even during the day the Ghostlands were dark and unwelcoming. Fortunately they had an easy journey. The undead weren't as active during the day and the wild creatures were scarce. They traveled in relative silence. He would stop periodically to allow her to catch her breath. He had to admit, she was tough. She would trek stoically, not wanting to stop. By now she realized he was escorting her back to the blood elves and was less skittish than she had been, even allowing him to help her over obstacles they came across. He could tell she didn't trust him, but that didn't matter. They stopped on the shores of a small pond. Zek used gathered some water and purified it using a special potion he had. They continued on for several more hours.

After having walked for most of the day, Zek could tell they were now in an area familiar to the young elf, her eyes seemed to look in certain directions and showed hints of recognition to several landmarks. They came to a stop near a small clearing. He held up his hand to her and motioned for her to sit and rest.

"Wait you here." he said in Thalassian. Or at least he thought that's what he said. His elvish was rough and patchy at best.

Turning he disappeared into the trees as he became one with shadows. The clearing he had observed was most certainly under watch. He crept around the edge and found what he was looking for. A blood elf ranger, hidden in the bushes watching out into the clearing. He crept closer and got right behind the elf.

Sloppy work. He thought. He hasn't even noticed I'm here.

The ranger sat stoically, watching the clearing like a hawk. He had an arrow nocked on his bow, ready to draw and fire at a moments notice. Zek drew his daggers and in one swift motion struck the bowstring with one dagger and placed other at the elf's throat. The ranger went instantly stiff and rigid as the blade pressed against him.

"Speak common?" Zek asked in Thalassian. The ranger nodded slightly.

"Good." said Zek. "Drop the bow and undo your belt." The elf complied and Zek grabbed his weapon. He tucked the scabbard into a free spot on his own belt.

"What do you want, Alliance filth?" spat the elf.

Zek chuckled. "I'm not with the Alliance." he said. "I...stand apart." He gestured for the elf to move and led him back to where the girl was waiting.

As they approached, Verielle shouted in Thalassian. The ranger responded. Zek couldn't catch most of it. The ranger turned to him.

"What have you done to this girl? What are your plans, knave?" he demanded.

Knave, thought Zek. That's a new one. He tossed the ranger's sword to him. The elf caught it with a surprised look.

"I've done nothing to her, besides saving her life and giving her food. As for my plans, they end at giving you back your sword and turning the girl over to you." He said nonchalantly, gazing up in the sky.

The ranger spoke to the girl again. This time more slowly, and Zek could tell she was confirming his story. At least the part about saving her. Zek kept peering up the sky, ignoring the two elves. He took his signaling mirror out and threw it straight up in the air. It fell back down and Zek caught it deftly.

Almost immediately, there was a rush of air and Ruby dove down through the trees, landing with a loud thud, shaking the ground. Zek climbed up on to her back. He turned one last time towards the two elves - both a little more than surprised at the sudden appearance of the drake - and tossed a small pouch towards the ranger.

"That's to repair your bow," he said. "And to buy the girl some new clothes. I'll be leaving now - heading back towards the Plaguelands. I have no quarrel with the Blood Elves and I bid you go in peace."

Almost begrudgingly, the ranger nodded. As Ruby turned to take off, the girl shouted something to him. Zek turned back and looked at her.

She spoke again and caught the Thalassian word for "name". He looked questioningly at the ranger.

"She wants to know your name." he translated.

Zek looked back at the girl. Her expressions seemed to have softened somewhat. He leaned down to Ruby and whispered to her "One moment...stay ready." and dismounted. She groaned slightly.

He approached the girl and looked her in the eyes. There was still fear there, in those eyes. But there was gratitude as well.

Zek smiled broadly and offered his hand. "Zeklor, at your service!" he said brightly. She took his hand to shake it, but with agile hand he pulled her forward slightly, took her hand and kissed it. Her eyes went wide and her face reddened.

"V...Ver...Verille." she stammered out her name, flustered at his actions. She stepped back from him.

"Thank you." she said.

Zek looked at her red face, framed by her blonde hair. Ah, he thought. If only we had met in another time, in another life.

"You are welcome," he said, in Thalassian. Thinking for a moment he whispered something else to her. She turned even redder, before turn around and walking back over to the ranger who, despite himself, was fighting a grin. Zek saluted them, then turned and jumped back on Ruby's back. Without a word she jumped up into the air and flapped her massive stone-skin wings. Within a few moments the pair had disappeared from sight.

* * *

Verielle didn't know why she felt so embarrassed. Zeklor had only kissed her hand was all. It was nothing...NOTHING.

She continued to brood to herself as her ranger escort walked her the rest of the way back to Tranquillen. He was going to file a full report with his commander of course. Humans being able to slip into their territory so easily was something to note. Their advance patrols had been too lax it seemed. Still, with the skill this particular rogue had displayed with stealth - he wasn't so sure that human wouldn't have been able to walk into the very heart of Silvermoon City if he wanted.

They continued on, with Verielle fuming with growing anger with each step. The ranger chuckled.

"Do not worry. We shall be back soon, young one." he said. "Or should I call you, Beautiful Jewel of the Sun?"

She stopped stomping and the ranger laughed as the flushing of her face traveled all the way up her ears.

* * *

As they flew through the air, the sun began to set on them. They had safely made it out of the Ghostlands and were now heading further south. Zek hoped to reach Light's Hope before too late. The goblins could go stuff themselves and their troll treasures he had determined.

"What was it that you said to the girl before she turned the color of my namesake?" Ruby asked Zek.

Zek smiled. "I called her 'my beautiful sun jewel'" he said. Zek turned his head back from whence they came. "or at least...I HOPE that's what I said."

Ruby laughed.

* * *

_Authors Note: I wrote the first two chapters in one go, so I was able to upload them fairly close together. New chapters *should* be released every week. Don't have a set schedule yet, so please bear with me! :)  
_


	3. Chapter 3

One year later...

* * *

Verielle was sweating in places she didn't even know COULD sweat. Still she kept at her training. She bobbed and weaved through the moving obstacle course that her instructors had set up for her final examination. In order to pass she had to strike every dummy in a specific spot without getting hit herself. If she did she would fail, in more ways than one. The engineers had equipped each dummy with a varied assortment of weapons that were just as sharp and as deadly as the ones she herself used. Normally she could complete a course like this fairly quickly and with ease. What made this particular one difficult was that she has having to take the course AFTER already spending the entire day in sparring practice did. Despite her exhaustion, she pressed on. For the past year she had immersed herself in training. combat, subterfuge, poisons, assassinations, and subtlety. She had embarked on her training as a rogue with a vigor after she had been the sole survivor of an ill-fated caravan. The official story was that she had managed to escape the first onslaught and had hidden in the woods. Only a select few knew the real reason for her survival. Which was also the reason for her intense training.

As her daggers hit home on the last dummy, the mechanized obstacle course ground to a halt as her attack had tripped a deactivation switch hidden inside the dummy. Her instructors looked over with approval. She had passed. There was no graduation. No grand ceremony. She had taken the path of shadows. The path of the rogue. She walked in darkness, even in the land of the sun. She was given a set of leathers and two well crafted daggers and sent on her way. She departed Murder Row and made her way back to her small apartment. As she approached she saw a figure waiting on her front steps. When she got closer ans saw who it was, her pulse quickened.

Sadriel had been her sponsor for training. The ranger was also one of the few people who knew how she had managed to survive the day of the caravan ambush.

"Bala'dash, Sadriel!" she said shouted as she came running. "What did you find?!"

Sadriel laughed. "What makes you so sure I have found anything, Sun Jewel?" At his mentioning of THAT particular nickname, her face flushed red and Sadriel laughed aloud. "Come, let us talk inside" the ranger said.

She unlocked the door and he took a seat at her table while she cleaned up from her training. When she returned, Sadriel had spread various parchments out on the table and was going over them while sipping some wine. Seeing her enter, he motioned her over to the table.

"This is all I have found." he said. "Zeklor is a human rogue - that much you know. It is true he is not affiliated with the Alliance. Our sources have discovered that he is from Arathor." Sadriel gestured towards a rough map of the region - particularly at a specific spot.

"What do you know of the Assassin's League?" the ranger asked Verielle.

She drew in a sharp breath. The Assassin's League was a very powerful organization led by Lord Ravenholdt. Not a secret organization by any means...but still mysterious. Their high skill commanded high prices. And they were very selective with the targets they took. They were fully capable of eliminating most of the Horde or Alliance leadership - but they chose to ignore requests that targeted ranking member of either side.

Verielle began to shuffle through the rest of the parchments. Reports from various blood elf agents working for Sadriel. Activity reports that described a man who fit Zeklor's description. From what Verielle could gather, he wasn't a very active assassin but his skills were among the best and commanded high prices.

Verielle continued to pour over the documents. Sadriel watched her methodically go through every report - discarding those that were unclear or vague and setting aside those that were more recent.

"Tell me, Verielle. What do you plan to do when you find him?" he asked, peering down at his reflection his wine.

Verielle stopped and pondered. What DID she plan on doing. After first returning to Silvermoon City she had tried for several weeks to forget the ordeal, but she couldn't. She would constantly find herself looking into the shadows hoping to see Zeklor watching her. She absently thought of him while working. Then she enrolled in training to become a rogue herself and resolved to find the man that permeated her thoughts. To that end she had asked, almost begged, Sadriel to help her any way he could. He had agreed and had spent the past year gathering intelligence for her while she trained.

But...why? she thought. Why have I gone through so much for a mere...human? "I...I don't know..." Verielle said softly.

Sadriel swirled the wine in his cup. "Is it for revenge? Or is it...for love?"

Verielle flushed deeply. "Of course it's NOT love! Or revenge, for that matter!" she paused to calm herself. "I...I guess I want to repay him for...for saving me."

Sadriel smiled and gave a small sigh. "I guess it cannot be helped then." He reached into his tunic and pulled out a piece of folded parchment.

"I have contacted Ravenholdt Manor. While they do not typically discuss the identities of their agents, I was able to persuade them after I explained the...situation" He handed the folded parchment to her. "It took a fair amount of convincing and assurance that we were not after this man to exact revenge of any sort. Zeklor...or simply Zek, as he is known to go by...will be traveling through Dalaran in a few weeks time."

Verielle unfolded the document, it was a writ allowing her a one-way portal to Dalaran. Also inside was small note - saying Legerdemain Lodge and a time.

Sadriel finished his wine and stood to leave. "Use that writ you can get a portal from one of the royal mages. You are to meet with an informant in Dalaran at that place and that time. It's up to you on the day. Just show up and they will make themselves known to you"

As he walked out into the bright city streets he turned back to her. "Be careful, Verielle." he said. Waving, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Verielle shut the door and immediately began to pack her things. Travel cloths, armor, weapons, and rogue equipment. Food and other provisions she could acquire in Dalaran. She had saved her meager wages from odd jobs and errands over the past year. While not a substantial amount, the pouch of gold would go far if she planned right and spent wisely. Verielle strapped her backpack on her shoulders and fastened her weapon belt around her waist. She left her apartment, not bothering to even lock the door. There was nothing of worth left for a locked door to protect. She made her way through the city to the Court of the Sun. Showing her writ to the guards, they allowed her to pass through into the Sunfury Spire. The Royal Mages here took her writ and directed her to a platform. They began to cast and a glowing portal appeared. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves...and stepped through.

* * *

"YOU NO TAKE CANDLE!" screamed the horde of angry kobolds.

Zek hated kobolds.

"IF I WANT YOUR GODDAMNED CANDLE I WILL TAKE YOUR GODDAMNED CANDLE YOU FILTHY RATS!" he bellowed as he cut them down.

Ruby sat nearby, bemused. They had picked out a nice quiet spot in Elwynn Forest to relax and rest. However, that spot was just a bit too close to a group of kobolds. They had seen the dragon land, and fearing their candles would be taken, had attacked.

Zek had not been amused. He had received a tip-off from the Manor. Someone was questions about him - and was searching for him. He typically didn't worry about enemies. His enemies usually found themselves on a diet of pointy steel. However, he did worry about the unknown. At any rate he had received orders to travel to Stormwind. Someone had a mark that would require him to travel to Dalaran. Some noble had been slighted by a Sunreaver guard or something to that effect. He really didn't know any of the details yet. However the knowledge that someone unknown was searching for him made him very grumpy. And when it came to kobolds, him being grumpy was a very bad thing. For the kobolds at any rate.

But it seemed the kobolds had a slight advantage in numbers. They kept appearing in greater numbers faster than he could cut them down.

Screw this... he thought. Reaching into a small pouch, he pulled out a vial. With twist he popped the seal and stopper out and downed the contents.

"Ruby!" he yelled. "EXTRA CRISPY!"

The drake sucked in a large breath and released a blast of fire directly at him. The blast struck him and spread out in a large area. Kobolds all around him were suddenly vaporized. Those further out were in varying stages of immolation. At the center of the devastation Zek stood unscathed, thanks to his specially concocted potions.

The kobolds had ignored the drake up to this point. Mainly because their intelligence had interpreted its existence as another rock in the forest. However, a rock that breathes fiery death upon them is worth noting. They took such note now and promptly sounded a retreat. Zek stood there panting for a few minutes as the kobolds scattered and disappeared. He hated having Ruby do that. Even though he had used his knowledge of alchemy to craft a special potion that rendered him immune to Ruby's specific fire, that potion was not cheap. Sighing, Zek dropped the empty vial the ground.

Ruby walked over to him while admiring her handiwork in the surrounding area. She had come from Deepholm and there were not many things that would burn or catch fire there. The dragon always enjoyed watching her fire take hold of things. Zek dusted himself off and climbed up on her back.

"Thanks for the save." he said, patting her stone hide. "Lets get to Stormwind gates before those rodents change their minds."

Ruby reared up and took flight. A short time later they approached the massive stone gates of the city. Zek saluted a griffon patrol that came along side them to investigate. The flight leader of the patrol returned the salute then motioned for him to continue into the city. He guided Ruby to one of many "landing towers" that had been erected for those with flying companions. She set down on the tower and an attendant was there to meet them.

"Good day and well met, traveler!" he greeted the pair cheerfully. "Welcome to Stormwind. Will you be requiring stable services for your...steed?" he asked, unsure of how to properly refer to the dragon.

Zek looked up at Ruby as he dismounted. She shook her head. She had never been one for stables. He waved his hand and she took off and spiraled into the clouds. He tipped the attendant a few silver and descended the tower and stepped out into the streets. Stormwind City, as always, was full of activity. Zek was in the Trade District and there were multitudes of people everywhere - running between shops and stalls, buy and selling goods. Smiling to himself he stepped out and blended into the crowd. Moving with the flow of the foot traffic he made his way through the trade district and into the old town. Here there was not as much traffic but he still kept on his guard. The Alliance Intelligence service, SI:7, had its headquarters nearby. He figured they already knew he was here, so it would be best if he didn't attract their attention too much.

Zek worked his way around old town and went down an alley. Here he found a door he his instructions described. He gave the requisite knock and it opened. Zek strode into the dimly lit room confidently. Here he found what he expected to see. At a small table sat a Ravenholdt contractor. Another man stood next to the open door. Judging by his dress and his demeanor Zek determined that he was a representative of whomever was hiring him. Zek sat at one of the two empty seats at the table. The door closed and the man sat down. The contractor, without saying a word, handed him a sealed letter. Zek broke the seal and read through it.

Standard contract terms. He thought to himself as he looked over the document and quickly memorized the details. A Sunreaver clerk had caused hassles for a merchant group based in Stormwind. Imposing fines and taxes on materials being trafficked through Dalaran. They were false tariffs and the clerk had pocketed the money and now the merchants wanted him taken care of. The document gave the clerk's name and place of residence. The rest was up to Zek to figure out to make the hit.

The details memorized, Zek tore the wax seal from the letter and pocketed it, then placed the letter in the flame of the candle that sat on the table, the signal that he would accept the job. The room brightened as the letter burned, and Zek did not let go of it until the flames touched the tips of his fingers.

Satisfied, the merchant representative stood up and nodded to both men. The contractor tipped his head at him but made a secret motion to Zek, signaling him to stay behind. The man turned and left through the door, shutting it behind him. Immediately Zek stood and went to the door, latching it and listening through it to make sure they were not being listened in on. Satisfied, he turned to the contractor.

"What news from the Manor?" Zek asked.

The man pulled another document from inside his coat and laid it on the table. Zek picked it up and opened it. The contents surprised him.

"A new recruit?" he asked. The contractor nodded.

"They will be meeting you in Dalaran. You need to take measure of their skills and decide if they will be a right fit within our group." the man said to Zek. "Master Fahrad has even given you leave to allow them an attempt on this mark."

Zek let out a low whistle. It was rare that recruits or initiates were allowed to take part in such a task. This new person must certainly show some promise, he thought to himself.

"If they...pass..." the contractor chose his words carefully, "you are to take them as an apprentice."

Zek nodded. It was customary within the League for more skilled members to take on an apprentice of the League's choosing for training. Zek had been tutored in this fashion, many years ago. This would be a first for him, however. Zek passed the document back to the contractor and turned to leave.

"Wait," the man said, stopping Zek. "One last thing..."

He reached into the pocket of his coat and produced a small coin. It was a portal token. He flipped it through the air at Zek, who promptly caught it before it struck him in the chest.

"Haste is necessary. You will need to arrive in Dalaran by this evening." he said, and he reached down and blew out the candle, shrouding the room in darkness.

Zek opened the door and light flooded into the now empty room. Zek didn't even bother to look back - he knew the man would not be there. He shut the door behind him and left the alley. Taking the long route back to the trade quarter, he spent an hour traveling through the city to make sure he wasn't being followed. Satisfied that he wasn't, he went back to the same tower that he had landed on. The tower was empty, save for the attendant who gave him a puzzled look as he arrived. Smiling, he took his signaling mirror out of his pocket and tossed it up in the bright midday sky. As he caught it he could hear the tell-tale sign of Ruby's dive. He stepped back as she landed suddenly with a massive thud that shook the entire tower. The attendant fell back in surprise as she landed.

Ruby shook her great head and stretched out. Zek went to the packs strapped to her saddle. He pulled his potion case out and went back around to face her.

"Bad news. We need to arrive in Dalaran by tonight." he told her, selecting a few potions from his case. The dragon let out a great groan when she saw what potions he was selecting.

"Can't we just take a portal? Just this ONE time?" she whined.

Zek shook his head. "You know we can't. You KNOW what happens when I try to use a portal."

Zek removed two vials from his case. He popped the seals on both as Ruby opened her mouth before him. He poured the first one in and she swallowed, then he poured in the second. He put the empty vials back in the case and returned the case to his bags. He then began to secure everything in preparation for their flight. He would only need a few minutes for the potions to kick in.

Zek was a master alchemist. He had learned many tricks about potions over his career. One particular trick was "customizing" potions. He could craft a special potion that would have an enhanced effect for a specific person. The trade-off was that it wouldn't work for anyone else. Using this technique he had crafted several specialty potions for him and for Ruby. The potion he had used in the woods in the fight with the kobolds was one such potion. Using a special component that came from the dragon herself, he had successfully devised a potion that when he - and only he - imbibed it, would make him completely immune to the fires effects for a VERY short duration. It had come in handy several times before.

However the two potions he had given Ruby produced a much different effect. They would allow her to fly at incredibly fast speeds for a prolonged period. The other would bolster her physical strength and stamina for the same length of time, so she wouldn't fall dead from exhaustion. However combining those two potions gave her a massive hangover that would last for several days after. Zek didn't like doing this to her, but there was no other way. Taking a portal was impossible for him.

After securing the packs Zek climbed up into the saddle. He used extra straps on the saddle to secure himself in the saddle. The speeds they would be traveling at were insane - the few people who had seen them do this swore that her flying past was followed by a loud explosion. Now strapped in, Zek put on a pair of goggles to shield his eyes from the wind. He gave Ruby a firm pat on the neck and she took flight - slowly at first, so they wouldn't attract any attention. As Stormwind disappeared beneath them, she began to pick up speed and altitude.

Ruby turned north and accelerated.

* * *

Deep within the Ghostlands sat the Scourge fortress of Deatholme. Once the headquarters for the ongoing assault on the blood elf lands, it now sat a husk of its former self. Mindless ghouls and zombies wander the crumbling and ill-kept complex.

Except for one. One lone undead stood watchful guard in front of a crumbling building. Ever still, it stood alone. Watching.

Deep below, in the bottom of that same building, behind a secret door, sat a withered man. His body was old and frail but his mind, as well as his magic, was still sharp. He sat in his secret laboratory, watching as his undead servants tended the bodies on the tables before him. They worked slowly but precisely, their movements guided by the ancient necromancer's mind.

A smile came to the human's face, as his undead minions began to strap saronite armor on to the pristine blood elf corpses. Soon, his efforts of the past year would bear fruit.

He laughed out loud, his hoarse voice echoing off the darkened walls.

* * *

_Author's notes: ...and that's it for chapter 3! Tune in for next week for chapter 4...or maybe 3000 words of Ruby describing how badly she is hungover. Either way, be assured I will be getting even less done at my day job! :D_


	4. Chapter 4

The frozen winds of Northrend blew through the streets of Dalaran. The "city of mages", relocated here during the war against the Lich King, had been a bustling, vibrant city. Now, with the Lich King's defeat and death, the denizens of Azeroth had turned their focus elsewhere. Still, the ley energies native to the frozen continent played a prominent role in the Kirin Tor's decision to keep the floating city where it was. Here the mages of Dalaran could work their magics and conduct their research without interference from outside factions. Even the Titan's city of Ulduar had faded into dormancy. Still the frozen continent held vast amounts of resources the rest of the world could use, so the Kirin Tor established trade routes that periodically left the city through portals to the various capitals cities of the Alliance and the Horde.

And it was here that Verielle waited. She had spent nearly three weeks in Dalaran. Three weeks of waiting. When the elf first arrived she had met with a strange man - he called himself a contractor - who made arrangements for her to find Zek. She hadn't trusted the man fully, but he WAS a part of the Assassin's League. He told her to wait in Dalaran and seek him out when he arrived. The man didn't mention anything specific, other than Zek would be operating from a secret location. She didn't know how she was to know when he arrived - or if she would even be able to find him. Even devoid of its high population from the war, Dalaran was a large city. But still, she waited. When her money had run out she had resorted to running various errands for the shops around town. It earned her enough for room and board at the Lodge. Plus meals.

Verielle sighed as she sat on the balcony of room, looking out over the city.

Where ARE you Zek? she thought.

* * *

The cold winds woke Zek from his sleep. Despite the fog of sleep he hastily made his bearings. He was still strapped in to the saddle on Ruby's back - which was good. From what he could see they were still heading in a northerly direction - also good. However, everything below them was shrouded in dense cloud cover - this was bad. They had departed Stormwind shortly before the noon hour. The sun was still a small sliver over the western horizon. Ruby's wings were flapping at an insane rate to keep speed. It would be too risky to try to plot their position on a map at this speed so he was going to eyeball it. A few stars were starting to become visible in the sky. He recognized a few and was able to get a quick position estimate. If he was right...they would be over the coast of Northrend any moment now, if they weren't so already. The potions he had given Ruby still had a few hours left before they wore out.

Zek gripped the saddle and gave Ruby a quick series of kicks. They were flying too fast to communicate verbally, but they had worked out a code for times like this. His kicks told her to descend. She complied, tucker he wings and performed a dive. As they blew through the cloud cover she leveled off. Zek looked around - they were over the region known as the Howling Fjord. He could make out the abandoned vrykul keep of Utgarde below. Pleased, Zek settled back into the saddle. At their current speed they would arrive in Dalaran in a few minutes. A mischievous grin crossed his face. He gave Ruby a special series of kicks. He couldn't hear it from the noise of the wind, but she let out a roar of laughter. A few minutes later they could make out the lights of Dalaran in the evening sky. Ruby pushed and accelerated - hurtling towards the city like a rocket.

* * *

Verielle was brushing her hair and getting ready for bed when she was suddenly jolted by a massive explosion. It sounded as if a massive thunder-head had unleashed its fury over the city in a single instant. Loose items everywhere began to shake and rattle as a shock wave that even she could feel passed through.

The spry elf jumped up and ran to the balcony. She looked outside and saw pandemonium on the streets. People everywhere were looking around with shock and confusion. A few were pointing up in the sky. She turned in the direction they were pointing and she could make out a reddish streak that was circling over the city. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she noticed the streak was some sort of object moving incredibly fast. It began to slow down, and her eyes could make out a shape with wings.

"A dragon..." she whispered to herself. Suddenly her heart skipped a beat. That was Zek's red-stone drake! He's here! She ran back into her room, all thoughts of sleep vanishing. She hastily began to put on her armor and strap on her weapons belt. Not bothering with stairs, she ran back out to the balcony and jumped - rolling as she nimbly landed on the ground and took off running down the street.

Zeklor, she thought triumphantly. I have finally FOUND you!

* * *

Both Zek and Ruby were in tears with laughter by the time they had slowed down enough to speak verbally again. The shock wave they had created had sent everyone in the streets scattering for cover. Zek had even caught sight of a mage or two stumbling out on their balconies in night-clothes. Ever the mischievous pair, they enjoyed "booming" their destination on the few occasions when Ruby had to take the potions. It helped ease the stress of the trip. As they reveled in the moment Zek guided Ruby to the rocky underside of the city. Here they found an old drain pipe that was large enough to accommodate the dragon. She landed and Zek undid his straps.

"Find suitable spot to rest for a few days." he told her, as he dismounted. He pulled one of the saddle packs off of her back and reached inside, producing a large wrapped package. "As soon as you do, chew on this. The herbs inside should keep the side effects of the potions down to a minimum. Try to drink up before you do."

He carefully placed the package in the dragon's mouth. She bowed her head in acknowledgement. She was already starting to show signs of exhaustion from the trip, hardly enough strength left to talk. The sooner she bedded down the better. The drake stepped out of the pipe and drifted down to the valley floor. Zek watched until he was sure she had landed safely - he knew she wouldn't be able to fly at high altitudes until the effects had worn off - then he turned and traveled up the pipe.

Zek had always found it odd that Dalaran even had a sewer. The mages of the Kirin Tor had constructed a magical means to...dispose of...the waste and refuse their citizens produced. Zek shrugged. The sewer was probably left over from days gone by when such magics hadn't been thought up yet.

The sewer had a musty smell - now and then he caught a whiff of a pungent herbal mixture - but was otherwise bearable. Zek traveled down the pipe until it opened up into a large cavern. Here was surprisingly well-kept structure - The Cantrips & Crows tavern. Goblins had built it as a refuge for the more shady dealings that went on in the city.

Shady dealings, he mused. Just what I'm doing now...

Chuckling, he walked around to the back of the structure and began to search. He found what he was looking for after a few minutes a loose board in the support scaffolding. He pulled it up - scratched on its underside was the symbol of Ravenholdt. Here Zek found a key hanging from a rusty nail. He retrieved the key and replaced the board. Zek walked back around to the side of the building and put the key in the lock of a door. There was a click and it opened. Inside it was a small room. A permanent spot in the building paid for by Ravenholdt Manor. Here agents of the Assassin's League could have a spot to rest, hide, or plan missions. The room was small - a set of bunk beds on one wall, and a table with a few mismatched chairs. On the table was a single lantern. On the other wall was a cupboard - inside Zek found lantern oil and wicks, as well as a some food stuffs. Anything he used he would have to replace before he left. He lit the lantern closed the door, taking care to make sure the lock and bolt worked. He tossed his saddle bag on the bottom bunk.

The document he had read back in Stormwind had said the new recruit he was to meet here would be waiting for him. However, they wouldn't know where the safe house was. Part of their training was to successfully find him after he arrived - although they probably didn't know that. And after their particularly noisy arrival, he was certain that they knew he was here and would begin looking. Zek pulled a few packs from his bag - they contained his supply of throwing knives and wire. He turned in a circle, taking in every detail of the room.

"Well," he said aloud. "Time to put up the party decorations!"

* * *

Verielle crept around in the shadows of the Underbelly. There was a crowd here tonight, betting on the arena fights.

Zek would be here on a mission, the man had said. And he would be operating from a secret location from somewhere in Dalaran.

Of course they wouldn't tell me the location, she grumbled to herself. Then it wouldn't be such a secret!

Still, using a few gold she had been able to pry a little information from a goblin or two. Occasionally shady characters that could be members of the Assassins League would be seen in or around the tavern of the Underbelly. It was an easy place to find - the architects of the city had built a ramp to go down into the main sewer cavern to the arena. Verielle could only guess that there was more than a few members of the Kirin Tor that enjoyed betting on a good match - thus the reason the Underbelly's modifications had, for the most part, been allowed. Verielle worked her way around the crowds and found a spot overlooking the tavern. It was a small building, built on a wharf-like structure over an underwater reservoir. To her it looked run down, but the structure was solid. She perched in her spot and watched, hoping to catch sight of Zek.

Hours passed with no sign. Now it was well into the night. The arena matches were all over and the crowds had either left or were laying on the ground where they had passed out drunk. Verielle herself had almost fallen asleep. She was starting to doubt whether it had really been Ruby he had seen in the sky, or if her wishful thinking had gotten the best of her.

A sudden movement caught her eye. A figure was creeping across the roof the tavern. She sat up and peered into the darkness - the figure was moving quietly, almost searching for something. It looked like a man but she couldn't tell. She decided to move closer to get a better look. Staying cloaked in the shadows she moved through the sewer towards the building. As she moved she lost sight of whatever it was. The inn was quiet - the occupants either asleep or passed out. There was a lit candle here and there but otherwise dark. She looked around for a way up to the room on the front of the building - nothing.

Might as well try the back. she thought.

Sneaking around the building she found a door that was hidden from view. Curiously the door was left slightly ajar. She carefully approached the door and put her ear up to the opening and listened. Nothing. She looked around but there didn't see a way up to the roof on this side either.

Maybe, she thought, there is a way up on the side...

She put her hand on the door latch and froze. Something was wrong. Very lightly, she pressed down on the latch and fell tension. The door was booby-trapped.

Training took over. She pulled out one of her daggers. She had coated it with a special enamel that wasn't reflective. Great for stealth but the coating was very delicate. She would have to reapply it often as it flaked off. She slid the dagger into the open doorway and went from the top to the bottom. Near the bottom, about ankle high, she found a wire. She tested it with the tip of her dagger. It was attached to the door on one side - opening it probably triggered a spring-loaded device pointed at the doorway. With a jerk she cut the wire - nothing happened, as she had hoped. She pushed the door open a few more inches, checking for more traps. Finding none she slowly stepped into the room. Inside it was dimly lit from a small lantern on the table. The room appeared empty, save for a large pack on the bed. Verielle froze when she saw it. It was Zek's, she was sure of it!

Slowly she approached the bed, but failed to see the second tripwire. She tried to pull her foot back when she stepped on it, but it was too late. There was a loud click and several throwing knives flew out from the opposite corner. Instinctively she brought her dagger up and deflected them. From behind her came a sound - a weapon being drawn. She spun, drew her other dagger, and ducked, just in time to see a sword pass over head. She rolled forward and snapped up bringing her daggers into the man who stood in the doorway. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Verielle pressed forward, instinct and training taking over. She lunged in with her daggers trying to punch through his defenses. The man dodged around her attacks and answered with slashing from his swords. She sidestepped one and parried the other, then tried to come in from the side. He answered by spinning with her, flanking her and forcing her back on the defensive. Their fight only last a few seconds. Until Verielle, unfamiliar with the terrain, slipped on a loose board and fell to her knee. Before she could recover her assailant's sword came bearing down on her throat...and stopped.

"Excellent. I beginning to think the Manor had given me a complete novice to train. At least you seem to have a few good skills." a familiar voice said. Verielle had learned the Common tongue as part of her training, but she still had trouble following exactly what he said at speed at which he spoke. Still, she recognized the voice.

"Zek? Is that you?" she asked softly.

The sword left her throat and the man stepped around to face her. He removed his hood and looked at her.

He still looked the same as he had a year ago. Long black hair that framed his bearded face. His blue eyes shone with intelligence as they eyed her. A wave of relief mixed with joy washed over her.

She reached up and lowered her own hood, tossing her blonde hair free.

Zek's eyes grew large when he saw the elf's face.

"Verielle?"

As soon as her name left his lips she jumped and threw her arms around him.

* * *

Zek stood there in the sewers in shock. His mind started to race. Pieces of a puzzle started to fall into place. Verielle was the person who was trying to find him. Why, he didn't know. She must have found his connection with Ravenholdt. That would explain the tip he had received. She must have been the one asking questions about him. But where was his recruit? A sudden realization washed over him.

"Oh Light..." he moaned.

Verielle looked up at him questioningly. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, you speak common now?"

Verielle blushed. "It was part of my training."

Zek chuckled and looked into her eyes. They hadn't lost any of the fire that they had held a year ago. There was no longer any fear in those eyes. Only determination...and confidence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I...I came looking for you." she answered. She cast her eyes down and stepped back a little ways. "A year ago you saved me. I thought that if I found you, that I could repay the debt somehow."

"But why go so far? You didn't have to do THIS much!" he said.

She gave him a puzzled look. "Do what? All I did was have Sadriel find out who you were. Then he arranged for me to meet with some man - called himself a contractor. He told me that you would be here soon and that I should seek you out." she explained.

Sadriel...that name sounded familiar to Zek. He went over a list of names in his mind.

"Wait.." he said. "Is Sadriel that ranger that I left you with that day?"

Verielle nodded. Zek groaned. He sat down and motioned for her to join him. She sat across from him. "Zek, what is wrong?" she asked.

Zek sighed then took a deep breath.

"Verielle, Ravenholdt Manor is home to a large organization, as I'm sure you know." he said. She nodded. "We have agents stationed everywhere across Azeroth to act as informants so we stay top of all the political events. It helps make decisions on which...jobs...to take."

Zek rubbed his forehead as he spoke. "In Silvermoon City we have a few agents, all who report to our main contact. He relays information back to us as well as information on possible new recruits." He paused for a moment. "His name is Sadriel."

Verielle blinked. Suddenly all of what he said sunk in. Her jaw dropped. She sat with her mouth open but no words could come out.

"Verielle, on behalf of Jorach Ravenholdt, Lord of the Assassin's League, I now bestow upon you the rank of initiate."

He stood and extended his hand to her, smiling.

"Welcome to the Assassin's League, my beautiful sun jewel."

* * *

The necromancer flexed the arms of his new body. The process had been short and relatively simple. This new body was young and strong when it died. Now, in undeath, it was even stronger and would not be touched by age.

Still, he would have to adjust to the body of a blood elf, much different from a frail old human. He moved his fingers and whisper the words of a necromantic spell. He felt the powers flow through him as the spell completed. His magic was still strong but he would have to perfect his casting in his new body. Smiling wickedly, he turned to the other bodies his minions were preparing. The process was improving and getting faster. It would not be long before the other bodies were complete.

Then...Silvermoon City would be his for the taking. And with it...the Sunwell!

He turned to the shriveled husk of his former body sitting in the chair. With a simple gesture it began to crumble to dust as a burst of necromantic energies surged through it.

* * *

_Author's notes: And that's it for chapter 4! I will be uploading new chapters each Wednesday. Please write a review if you like this story!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Authors Note: In this chapter some speaking text is in italics with no quotes. This is to show a different language being spoke. In this case, its Thalassian. Just a heads up! Enjoy!_

* * *

Verielle sat there on the ground for several moments with her mouth agape. Zek just stood there, with his hand out and his wry grin plastered on his face. Finally she reached out and grabbed her hand and he helped her to her feet. He ushered her into the small room and closed the door behind them. The small lantern illuminated the room well, despite its size.

Zek motioned for her to sit at the tiny table. As she sat down he plopped down into the second and kicked back, leaning up against the edge of the bunk beds. Still smiling, he sat there eyeing her. Once the realization started to sink in Verielle returned to her wits.

"But...but...an assassin?! Me?!" she sputtered, finally able to form words. "That's not right! I've barely been out of training for a few weeks...by the Nether I've only been training for a YEAR!"

Zek pondered for a moment, then said "Let me guess. You always seemed to have to attend extra training sessions. Like the instructors were singling you out?"

Verielle nodded. "It started after the first few weeks of training...shortly after I asked Sadriel to help me find you."

The human leaned back forward and rested his head on his hands as he leaned over the table, laughing slightly. "Ah...that explains it." He looked up at the elf and gazed into her eyes. Most of the eyes she was used to seeing were green. His eyes were a deep blue and she found herself staring at them in a peculiar way...

"Some recruiters.." Zek began, bringing her back to her senses. "Have been known to...foster...raw talent that they come across. My guess is that Sadriel observed your training and determined that you had potential. And I'm willing to bet that he agreed to aid you as long as you promised to complete your training?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly at this. Verielle blushed slightly and nodded.

"Right then!" he slammed his hand down on the table, startling her. "We can sort this out in time. Right now we have a job to do!" He exclaimed, as he produced a roll of parchment from his sleeve.

"Job? What do you mean?" she asked, thoroughly confused. Zek unrolled the parchment to show a map of a small section of Dalaran - the Sunreaver's Sanctum.

"What I mean, Sun Jewel, is that you and I are here to do a job. And to be quite honest I don't like being in this city and would like to get it done as soon as possible. So we can leave and get on to more important things!" Zek said, eyeing the map carefully.

"Stop calling me that!" She said, blushing. "And what do you mean by job? We're not going to KILL someone are we?!"

"Well...you see the thing is...we are assassins. Well, I am at any rate, you are still in training. But yes, assassins do actually kill people." he looked up at her from his map with a twinkle in his eye. "Well...at least when we aren't saving beautiful elf maidens in distress."

Verielle, now a deeper shade of red, smacked him on his shoulder, inciting him to smile broadly at her. "I'm not going to kill anyone, Zek. I just came to find you." she said.

Zek sat up and looked at her carefully. "You've never had to kill anyone before, have you?"

Verielle opened her mouth to reply, but closed it and only shook her head. Zek sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He sat and thought for a few moments.

"Ok then..." he said. "Just let me say this. Yes, I am an assassin. Yes I have killed many people. I kill men...and some women...for coin. But believe me when I tell you this: I only take marks on people who I believe deserve a different brand of justice. You may think me evil for being a killer, but trust me - those who I have killed have done things to people you wouldn't wish on your worst of enemies."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, holding it gently. Verielle was surprised but did not try to pull away from him. He looked her in the eyes once more and spoke softly.

"Verielle. You have a choice to make. You can trust me and let me teach you. I can teach you all you need to learn and know and I can keep you safe. Or you can turn around and leave. The League does not take kindly to being turned down when they offer a chance to join their ranks - you would most likely be in danger. I have a few friends that I could pull some strings and this could all be forgotten, but you would most likely never see me again."

He set her hand down on the table and stood up. He walked back over to his pack and began to pack gather his things back up. "Choose - but choose quickly."

Verielle stood up. The man she had hoped to find for so long was to become her teacher - her teacher in an art she wasn't so sure she wanted a part of. She turned slowly back towards the door and reached out and placed her hand on the latch.

Her hand rested there for a few tense moments before she flipped the lock on the latch, locking the door. She turned back to find Zek smiling at her.

"Zeklor the Siphon," she said, using his League name that she had learned from the documents Sadriel had provided. She extended her hand. "I accept. Teach me what I must know."

Zek stepped forward, taking her hand and kissing it - causing her to turn red. "Very well, _my beautiful sun jewel._"

She smacked him on the shoulder as hard as she could. He laughed.

Verielle was now certain of two things. The first was that she had a fear of heights. The second was that she was going to MURDER Zek as soon as this was over.

They had been able to slip into the Sanctum with relative ease. However their target was in his quarters that were - inconveniently - located near the top of the tower. That same tower was usually kept locked at nights while under guard. Heavy guard. They had spent the past few days scouting out their target. He kept himself well guarded when he ventured out into the city. And when he was in the Sanctum he was either in his office or his bedchambers. Zek determined the best course of action was to scale the side of the tower. The Sunreavers only posted archers at the top of the tower to watch for approaching aerial enemies. With few of those left since the ending of the war the archers tended relax in their watch duties. They would be able to climb the tower on the outer face straight up to their target's window.

However what Zek had failed to tell her was they had to scale the wall freehand as they had no access to climbing equipment. Purchasing it would have been too risky - someone murdered in a tower right after climbing equipment had been purchased wasn't that difficult of a mystery to solve. So here Verielle found herself with a death grip on the stones of the tower, lest she fall straight down to the Crystalsong Forest floor far below. Zek was above her, testing the various stones for faults and hand holds. She followed him up slowly, being careful to place her hands and feet only on spots she had observed him using. It was slow work, but they were almost to their destination.

The large wood shutters of the window were open to allow fresh air into the room. The clerk found the tower to be a bit too stuffy at night. As Zek reached the sill of the window he motioned for Verielle to climb up next to him. When she reached the sill next to him he leaned over to her.

"Peek inside." he whispered into her ear. Had she not been an elf she never would have been able to hear it, his voice was so quiet. She nodded and hoisted herself up to peek into the room.

The night was moonless and dark. The stars provided her with more than enough light to see but she was amazed that Zek had navigated so easily. As she peeked into the room she saw the clerk hunched over his desk. For a blood elf he was fairly plain. She had seen his face a few times before and she knew he wasn't very attractive - even by human standards. He had a sharp wit, however. He had risen in the ranks of the Sunreavers through the knowledge of logistics and coin. Here he sat, working late into the night writing numbers in a ledger. Hardly the type of man who seemed worth killing, she thought to herself.

She lowered herself back down to Zek's level and nodded at him. She pointed in the direction the clerk and been sitting and held up three fingers. Three paces was how far away he was from the window. Zek nodded in acknowledgement and pondering for a moment.

How can he stand to cling to the wall like this? Verielle thought to herself. Her own arms and legs were aching from the effort. Fortunately the stones were large enough to support themselves without too much effort.

Zek seemed to decide something as he pulled his dagger out of this belt. He looked over at Verielle and flashed her a wicked grin. Taking the dagger he reached up to the edge of the sill and began scratching. The sound of metal scraping against stone broke the night silence. It wasn't loud...but it was annoying...especially to Verielle's ears. Which meant the clerk was finding it equally annoying.

From inside the room the clerk cursed in Thalassian. Then the sound of a chair being pushed against the floor. Zek hastily motioned for Verielle to get ready. She nodded.

The clerk began to stomp through the room and a moment later his angry face appeared over the sill. The look of anger turned to shock quickly as Verielle launched her self up and on to him, knocking him back into the room. Her training kicked in and she drew her daggers and stabbed in one fluid motion. The first strikes went into his lungs. Without breath he wouldn't be able to call out. The second motion brought the first dagger across his throat, drawing a line of crimson as blood began to flow freely. Her other hand plunged the dagger into his heart at that same moment.

It had only taken a few seconds - the now lifeless clerk lay in the floor, his life-blood spreading slowly. Verielle was shocked. She had always been quick to dispatch dummies in training. She turned back to the window. Zek now sat there with an approving look. He stepped down into the room and walked over, helping her up off the corpse.

"How do you feel?" he whispered.

She looked down at the body on the floor. Zek had told her how the clerk had increased prices on shipments - causing more than a fair share of innocent people to suffer as a result of the limit in supply. Still...the adrenaline rush of the attack had begun to wear off. As to how she felt...

"I feel...fine." she said. Zek looked her in the eyes when she said it. Seeing her resolve, he nodded.

He then leaned over to pick the ring up off the body - the "proof" that Ravenholdt wanted returned. Zek then walked over to the bookshelf and started scanning through the books.

"What are you looking for?" Verielle asked.

"Proof." he replied. "I did some checking and found that he had bragged of his accomplishments to someone in a tavern. He made mention of keeping a record of his extra funds." Scanning the books, he picked out a particular volume and pulled it off the shelf. He opened it and began thumbing through it.

"A-ha!" he said, pointing at the page. Here, interwoven between the lines of text were numbers. "He had kept his numbers in a history tome. Hiding in plain site, as it were." He tore a handful of pages out of the book and tossed them on to the floor next to the body. "Now the WHY will be answered for them. Lets hope the give up on the WHO." He grinned.

Verielle found herself grinning back. At least until someone began pounding on the door.

Sir, are you alright? We heard a commotion. said a blood elf voice from outside the door. The handle began to move and the door began to swing open.

"Fuck." Zek said. Quickly the two assassins drew up their hoods to hide their faces. The door opened and there stood another sunreaver clerk. He yelped when he saw the pair standing over the body of his master and quickly turned and disappear from the doorway.

_GUARDS!_, he yelled. _MURDERERS IN THE TOWER!_

Immediately Verielle could hear the sound of heavily armored footsteps pounding up the tower. Many footsteps. The elf jumped forward, slammed the heavy door shut, and dropped the lock into place. That wouldn't hold for very long. She turned to Zek with fear in her eyes. With a word Zek ran to the window and looked outside.

"The candle! Quickly!" he hissed, pulling a mirror out of a pouch on his belt. Verielle retrieved the candle from the desk and took it to him. Zek held the candle out in one hand and the mirror behind the flame in the other. He moved it back and forth several times. He then dropped the candle out the window and watched it fall for a few seconds. Behind them the guards had started to pound on the heavy door. The relatively weak locking mechanism was starting the give way. Then, without warning, Zek grabbed her in a tight embrace.

_Hold tightly, Sun Jewel!_ he said, and with her in his arms leapt out the window into the darkness.

* * *

Zek plummeted through the night sky. Verielle had a death-grip on him as they fell. He could barely make out the flickering light of the candle as it fell below them. Fortunately the clerk liked to use the wind-proof ones. He hoped Ruby had either seen his signal or the candle falling through sky. Of course seeing him falling to his imminent death would tip her off that he needed a pickup also. He didn't have to wait long as her sparkling form emerged from the gloomy night. She matched her dive speed to their fall and pulled up along them.

Reaching out, Zek grabbed one of the longer straps on the saddle. Quickly he wrapped it around their bodies as tightly as he could manage, then secured the metal ring at the end around the horn of the saddle. He kicked Ruby who then spread her wings and began to slow their descent. Not too quickly, lest the strap would break from the stress. As she leveled off, Zek peered down. The ground was too close for his comfort. Ruby found a suitable spot to land. When they touched ground Zek reached up and undid the straps. As soon as they were free Verielle stumbled back on to the ground.

"Oh! You brought me a snack!" the dragon said licking her lips. Zek hoped Verielle would know that she was joking.

He didn't have to worry - Verielle was too concerned with try to break his ribs. The elf had jumped up and was punching him in the chest.

"DON'T! EVER! DO THAT! AGAIN!" she yelled, accentuating each word with a punch.

Zek grunted and held his hands up in surrender. Ruby looked from the elf to Zek.

"I like her!" she said, chuckling. She turned to face Verielle and inclined her head slightly. "Greetings, Sin'dorei. My name is Ruby. I'm glad to see you are still well after all this time."

"My name is Verielle. I'm glad we've been properly introduced. It seems we'll be spending a lot of time together from now on." the elf said, mirroring the dragon's head nod. "I am now Zek's apprentice."

Zek rubbed his sore ribs and walked around to Ruby's saddle. "Now that introductions are in order, we need to get back to Dalaran. Once we retrieve our things we can make the long journey back to more civilized lands."

He jumped up on Ruby's back and extended a hand out to Verielle. She took it and he pulled her up into the saddle to join him. "Where will we be going?" she asked him as he used some straps to secure them.

"Alterac." he said, kicking Ruby to let her know they were ready. The dragon took flight.

"It's time for you to meet the Masters!"

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry for the late publish - busy day at work! No necromancer snippet this week - but for good reason! But you'll have to wait to find out why! /evillaugh_


	6. Chapter 6

The sun shined down through the canopy of the Eversong Woods. Sadriel sat in the bough of a tree enjoying the quiet afternoon. So far his week-long patrol had gone well. The forces of undead that still remained despite the fall of the Lich King were easy to keep at bay now. Most of the time they wandered aimlessly, rarely attacking anything and feeding on carrion. In the past they had issues with Cult of the Damned necromancers attempting to control large groups of the beasts and sending them on attacks. Those attacks never seemed last too long. A majority of the magics used to create new undead no longer seemed to work properly - again something Sadriel often attributed to the fall of the Lich King.

Even better, the overall number of undead seemed to decrease with each passing day, something that pleased Sadriel greatly. With every patrol becoming easier and easier, it gave him much more time to get his duties for Ravenholdt accomplished. Which is what he was doing now, while sitting in the tree top. The winds were calm this day, so Sadriel had varies pieces of parchment pinned to the trunk of the tree, going over the bits of information contained within. Various reports from Eversong, the Ghostlands, and Silvermoon City that required his attention.

Ravenholdt had employed him as an informant for many years now - ever since the High Elves split off to become the Blood Elves. Due to Ravenholdt's neutral status with both the Alliance and the Horde they advised him to be...delicate...with his information. They did not wish their agents to become known and lose the flow of information. Sadriel's status of ranger and forward scout gave Ravenholdt access to a greater amount of intel. Over the years he had acquired a great respect for the organization. The information they acquired wasn't sold or traded - it would be used strictly for Ravenholdt operations.

So here he sat in his tree, going through the information the other informants in Silvermoon had passed to him. Most of it was boring - logistical information, supplies, current political climates - but he compiled it none the less. So engrossed was he in his work he almost missed the subtle vibrations that began to shake the tree. Almost. The papers movement despite the lack of breeze snapped him out of his concentration. Gently he placed his hands on the tree trunk and felt a rhythmic vibration passing through the trunk. He could see the leaves of the tree shudder slightly. Peering at other trees in the forest, he couldn't see any movement. The elf quickly pulled the papers down and stuffed them into a pouch. He nimbly jumped down the tree branches until he reached the base. Sadriel laid down on his side and rested his ear on the ground, listening.

For several minutes he listened to the earth, feeling the vibrations. He opened his eyes and stood up, staring grimly at the ground.

Something was digging. And it was heading towards Silvermoon City.

Quickly he broke into a sprint. Not towards the city, but away from it. The ranger knew from experience that he would need to get more intel on whom - or what - was digging towards the elven capital. Racing through the trees he emerged from the forest over looking the border with the ghost lands. He peered out as far as he could see - nothing.

Then, an almost imperceptible movement caught his eyes. In the thick, dead underbrush of the ghostlands he could make out the forms of several undead. Not aimlessly lumbering about, but sitting almost deathly still, unmoving. Waiting.

Watching.

Sadriel gripped his bow tightly and nocked an arrow. He drew back and took careful aim. If his hunch was right, these undead were sentries guarding the entrance to a tunnel. As he aimed carefully he never saw the dark figure materialize out of the shadows behind him. It raised its arm high and brought down a heavy mace on to the ranger's unsuspecting head.

Sadriel collapsed into a heap, his world going black.

* * *

Verielle gazed out across the hills of Tirisfal. The land still looked dead and dreary from when Arthas had ravaged it years ago. Under the Banshee Queens rule things had not improved much - Forsaken architecture tend to only come in various states of disrepair.

Zek had found them a small camping spot in the hills of the northern region. Far away from any Forsaken outpost or settlement it would be unlikely they would be discovered. Ruby had spotted a small creek running through the hills. By some miracle it had been spared the corruption that afflicted most everything else in the region. Ruby sat nearby resting. She had flown non-stop for days to reach land. Zek had explained to Verielle that Ruby could fly for extremely long distances with very little rest. Stone drakes could revitalize themselves by being in contact with the earth - the element of their home. Absorbing elemental energy directly she would be recovered very soon. Still she would be hungry, which is why Zek was out hunting - Ruby was cranky when she was hungry.

As for Verielle, she was going to indulge in something she hadn't had for nearly a week. A well deserved bath. She stripped the armor off her body and laid it in a pile on the bank. Zek kept some soap on hand in his packs. She stepped into the cold water, shivering as she waded out into the middle. The water came up to her waist and its cold began to soothe her aching muscles. She began to work quickly - she didn't want to catch hypothermia.

Zek had found a nice kill for Ruby. A herd of feral goats had made their home in these hills. He trapped one of the larger males and knocked it out with some poison. Ruby liked to kill her own food and the poison wouldn't affect her. He threw the goat over his shoulders and began the hike back to camp.

Their flight back to the Kingdoms had been smooth. It helped that Zek got to spend it a beautiful young blood elf holding him tightly. He smirked as he thought recalled the first time she had made the mistake of looking down - she had almost broken his arms she was squeezing them so tight. At first he couldn't tell if it was from fear or excitement. The string of obscenities in Thalassian had confirmed it was the former.

They had only been together for a short period and he found himself enjoying her company. Zek preferred to work alone - as most assassins do. But something about Verielle made him happy. Her warm smile that seemed to mimic his witty grin, her blonde hair that always fell in her eyes while they had trained. The sweat glistening on her body as it rolled down her lithe form...Zek shook his head and groaned. Every time he thought of her his mind wandered to THOSE particular thoughts. He sighed as he came up on camp. Verielle was his student - she had sought him out to repay him for saving her. Even though he playfully teased her with the nickname Sun Jewel, a blood elf wouldn't be interested in a human - not in that way at any rate.

Again he sighed as he set the goat down on the ground. Only to look up and see Verielle surfacing from the creek throwing her wet hair back. Zek felt the blood rush to his face - and elsewhere - as he watched the water trickling down her very beautiful, and very naked, body.

"Oh Light..." he whispered, entranced.

* * *

Verielle had stayed under for as long as she could. She had scrubbed and scrubbed and now she had stayed under to let the flow of the water wash away the soap and grime. Her lungs burning, she stood up, whipping her hair back in an arc. She took a deep breath as the warm evening air tingled on her cold skin. It had taken her longer than she thought to get clean.

I'd better hurry, she thought. Zek would be back soon and she didn't want to get caught with her pants down. Literally and figuratively. She turned back to the bank and saw Zek standing there, his face a deep crimson and his jaw practically on the ground.

The pair stood there in a stalemate for several moments. Zek stood there, almost dumbfounded, staring at her. Verielle herself was frozen with both fear and embarrassment. She was keenly aware of the rivulets of water dripping down her naked form, but she was too afraid to move.

"If you are both finished undressing each other with your eyes," came a reptilian voice, "I am quite famished. Besides its clear that Zek has won."

Ruby, awakened and refreshed, sauntered over to the awkward pair. "Although I'm not so sure this round counts. Veri has the obvious disadvantage." she turned her head towards the elf. "Or advantage..depending on the goal of the exercise.." she added, chuckling to herself. The dragon stepped into the water to put herself between Verielle and Zek, then turned towards the latter.

"Well?" she said, crossly. "Don't just stand there! Get the poor girl something to dry off with!"

Zek snapped his jaw shut and turned to back towards his packs. He quickly pulled out a long length of cloth and tossed it over the dragon's back. Verielle caught it and quickly wrapped it around her shoulders, covering herself. Ruby waited until she had completely covered herself, then stepped out of the water, snatched the goat off the ground, then walked away to enjoy her meal in peace.

Verielle stepped out of the water and on to the bank, still wrapped in the cloth. Zek stood next to his packs, his face cast down and his eyes averted. His face was still red and Verielle found herself suppressing a giggle.

_I'm sorry. _he said._ I did not mean to...embarrass you._ _I will give you some privacy. _Before Verielle could reply Zek walked off quickly, disappearing down the slope of the hill.

Verielle dried off and dressed, then tried to follow him, but it was too late. He had already vanished off into the hills somewhere. Instead she went back to Ruby, who had finished her meal and was laying contentedly nearby.

"He ran off, didn't he?" the dragon asked as Verielle walked up. The elf nodded and sat down next to her. Ruby just sighed and shook her massive head. "That boy...I don't know what I'm going to do with him."

"What's wrong? Is he mad at me?" Verielle asked, afraid of what the answer could be.

Ruby shook her head again. "No, little Sin'Dorei. Zek is a brilliant man. A master assassin, alchemist, and fighter. But despite his outward bravado and somewhat, shall we say, teasing manner concerning certain pretty blood elves...he is not very adept at handling certain situations with women." Ruby turned her massive head to look Verielle in the eyes. "Zek may seem confident, calm, and suave around you, but do not be fooled. When it comes to women, Zek is hopeless."

Verielle mulled over the dragon's words in her head. It didn't make complete sense, not really. When she had first met Zek he had been confident, even suave. He had been that way, to a certain extent, when she had reunited with him over a week ago. But something had changed...something very quickly. An idea popped into her head. It baffled her...and made her blush deeply.

"Ruby? Does Zek...have...feelings for me?" she asked quietly.

The dragon chuckled softly. "Think back to what he was saying just a few moments ago." she replied.

Verielle replayed the event in her mind for a moment, let her eyes widened in shock.

"He was speaking perfect Thalassian!" she exclaimed, thinking back to how smoothly Zek had spoken it. Over a year ago he could hardly form a coherent thought in the language. Now he had spoken it so fluently that she hadn't even noticed!

Ruby chuckled again. "I don't know many humans...but I'm certain human men don't learn an entire language that well in just under a year without cause...or reason." With that she curled up - creating a nook large enough for Verielle to lean against. "Get some sleep. Zek will be fine once he calms down and regains his wits. He needs to take first watch anyway." The dragon closed her eyes and in no time began to snore softly. Verielle sat there thinking for a few minutes. Then, smiling, she leaned over and closed her eyes to sleep.

* * *

Zek watched over the sleeping pair from the tall grass he had hidden in. He sighed in frustration to himself. Yet again, you have made an oaf of yourself! he thought bitterly. Zek had always been known as a flirt. But then it became known by many people when a woman reciprocated his feelings he would seize up. The women of the League had a field day with him on that one. He didn't know why he would seize up like that. And with Verielle! Again he groaned softly. So much for being a good teacher, he thought bitterly.

Zek resigned himself to patrolling the area. A good stalk would keep his mind off things - he hoped. By now the sun had set and the moon and stars shined brightly in the night sky. Fading into shadows he began a patrol around the area. Despite his awkwardness, he would rather face a horde of Burning Legion demons that to abandon his assignment. He would work things out.

Late into the night he patrolled. Certain that nothing dangerous was in the area, he had taken to sneaking up on local wildlife to hone his skills - not that they needed honing. There were few assassins that could match him in those areas.

Suddenly he became aware of an intense burning situation on his chest. His Ravenholdt insignia. He quickly reached into his armor and retrieved the metal seal from its hidden pouch. It was glowing slightly and producing intense heat. Not enough to burn him, but enough to get his attention. He stared grimly at it for a moment. He sat down and held the insignia in his hands.

The insignia of the Assassins League - ones given to their agents at any rate - had a few simple enchantments. It allowed them to receive orders - via magical telepathy - from the Manor. However Zek had to take extra steps to use it.

As he sat, he relaxed his body. As he relaxed he focused on the part of his being that made him special. A part that few knew about. As he focuses, he was able to completely suppress his hidden talent - then he turned his focus on the insignia.

REPEAT. ATTENTION ALL AGENTS. a voice boomed in his mind. WE HAVE A BLACK-LEVEL EVENT. ALL CONTRACTS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. AGENTS IN EVERSONG NEED ASSISTANCE. ALL AGENTS IN THE AREA RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO RENDER AID.

The message began to repeat itself and Zek snapped out of his meditative trance. A black-level event. Whomever had called it had been serious. The last time a black level event had occurred was when Deathwing had broken through Deepholm and began to ravage Azeroth. Whatever was going on in Eversong - it was serious.

Zek returned the insignia and began to sprint back towards camp. As soon as he could see Ruby's rocky form he began to shout.

"RUBY! BLACK-LEVEL! EVERSONG!" he bellowed as he ran.

Immediately the dragon's head snapped up, alert. She roared in response - all but scaring Verielle to death, as the elf jumped up in alarm. By the time Zek had reached them Ruby was stretching out, getting ready to fly. Verielle was hastily throwing things into the bags.

"Grab that one!" Zek said, pointing to the bag that contained his most important items. Verielle complied. "Ruby, torch the rest. The League will reimburse me."

The dragon turned and fired a burst of fire at the remaining bags, incinerating them. Zek grabbed the bag from Verielle and attached it to Ruby's saddle. He jumped up and reached his hand down to help Verielle up to the saddle in front of him. As soon as they were strapped in, Ruby jumped up in flight and headed north.

"What's going on Zek?" Verielle shouted over the rushing wind.

"Something bad is happening in Eversong. The League issued a Black-Level alert." Zek responding, sounding grim. "Other members of the League are headed there now. Ravenholdt agents are in trouble."

* * *

Sadriel groaned as he regained consciousness. He had been ambushed by someone or something that was in league with the undead. They had begun to drag him down into the darkened tunnel they have dug, but with the last vestiges of consciousness he had, he had managed to grasp his Ravenholdt insignia. Before completely blacking out the ranger had sent out a simple message to the Manor. Eversong. Black-Level.

Whether or not they had heeded his request he did not know. He also did not know why he had been kept alive. The undead monsters had shackled him up with crude chains and bound him to the wall of the tunnel. He tried to get a look around but blood and grime that had caked on his face obscured his vision.

"So...our little spy is awake." came a voice. Sadriel's sharp ears quickly discerned it was a blood elf male, speaking common. "Tell me, what is this trinket?" A shiny object came into his limited vision - his insignia. Sadriel said nothing.

The voice chuckled. Another, different, voice spoke up. "It matters not. I was able to break the enchantment on it. Whatever this thing is...it is nothing more than a lump of simple metal." This voice was also blood elf, but female. Older, by the sound.

A third voice chimed in, "No matter. Now that you are awake we can begin. I have always wanted to try this process on a still-living specimen." Another male.

Cold water splashed his face. As his vision began to clear he looked up and saw a group of four blood elves. All four were wearing identical armor - saronite, by his estimation. They all had the same strange rune tattooed on their foreheads. However what took Sadriel off guard the most was the fact they were all dead. Or undead rather. They were not death knights. Three of them had blank expressions. The fourth had a wicked grin across his face. Three men and one woman - all blood elves. The one with that was grinning went slack and his face relaxed. The female then began to grin wickedly and Sadriel noticed her eyes began to glow brightly with necromantic energy.

"Very well, let us begin!" she cackled. She pulled a knife out of her belt and drove the point into Sadriel's forehead.

Sadriel screamed.

* * *

_Author's Notes: And thus concludes chapter 6! If you like the story thus far, toss me a review to let me know how I'm doing! See you next week!_


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby's hastened flight lasted through the following day and into the night. Only after the sun had set did the forests of the Ghostlands come into view. The dragon dropped from the sky quickly, coming to an abrupt landing in the middle of the Dead Scar. Her travel-weary riders unbuckled themselves and jumped off.

Zek stretched briefly before securing the saddle straps.

"Find somewhere to rest. As soon as you can, seek us out." he told the exhausted dragon.

"Where will you be?" she asked, too tired for their usually snappy banter.

Zek scratched his chin for a moment. "We didn't see hardly any Horde forces on the way here. That means whatever has happened hasn't caught the eyes of Silvermoon forces. Start at the border between Eversong and the Ghostlands and work your way in. I'll signal if I see you."

The dragon nodded then walked off to a nearby rock outcropping. Zek turned to Verielle. She looked exhausted from the trip - he felt the same way - but looked ready. He took another long look around. Normally the Ghostlands would be crawling with feral undead. However there was stillness as far as he could see. No shambling zombies, ghouls, or any undead of any kind.

Not good. he thought. If someone - or something - had managed to exert control over the Scourge remnants it would explain the Black-level. Zek walked over to the bag he had dropped to ground when they landed. He beckoned Verielle over.

Zek opened the bag and pulled out several items. From his potion supply he handed the elf several healing potions which she tucked into her own potion belt. Zek grabbed health potions and several other strange potions of his own - they wouldn't work on anyone but himself. The case now empty he returned it to the pack. He then pulled out a separate case that contained his poisons. From these he let Verielle select her own - every rogue had their own preference it seemed. While she selected he dug around until he found the last of the items he needed.

Verielle returned the poisons case and Zek handed her a small whistle. He put the case back in his bag and hid the bag in a nearby hollow tree stump. Verielle was looking at the whistle curiously and shot Zek a questioning look.

"Blow it." Zek said, suppressing a grin. The elf put the whistle to her lips and blew.

Instead of a whistle the sound that escaped the object was the screech of a raptor. The whistle dissolved from her hands into a thick green mist - coalescing into a large raptor. One indigenous of Kalimdor's Un'goro Crater. The venomhide ravasaur stood ready, as if waiting commands.

"A gift from a mage that did a favor for once." Zek explained to Verielle, who stood agape at the sudden appearance of the reptile. "I knew I wouldn't be able to always have Ruby available for transportation. So I had him create me a couple of items to use in a pinch."

He held up a small another whistle and blew - this time a burst of frozen air came forth, accompanied by the roar of a cat. A Winterspring frostsaber emerged, standing next to the raptor. Zek turned towards Verielle. "Well, milady," he said, sweeping his arms down into a bow. "Choose your noble steed!"

Verielle, despite herself, giggled. She smacked Zek on the shoulder and stepped up to the frostsaber and jumped into the saddle. Zek jumped up on to the raptor.

"Why is it.." he asked. "That every time I say something witty I get hit?"

"Because you always deserve it!" Verielle replied, as the pair set off towards Eversong.

* * *

Verielle kept pace with Zek as they raced through the Ghostlands. The lack of any undead presence made their journey go by quickly. Their mounts - magical constructs, from what Zek had told her - did not tire, so they covered ground quickly. It was eerie to travel down the Dead Scar and not see a single undead. But where they had all gone, she did not know. The possibilities frightened her.

Zek suddenly signaled for her to stop. Their mounts came to a halt and Zek pressed a finger to his lips. They dismounted and he whispered a strange word. The two mounts dissolved into mist and left two whistles on the ground. He reached down and pocketed these then motioned for Verielle to follow him. They walked quietly down the Dead Scar and Verielle saw what prompted him to stop - an unlikely encampment. As they approached saw there were no banners being flown. The camp seemed deserted. However as Zek approached he held his arms out and motioned for her to do the same.

"I am Zeklor, the Siphon." he called out. "With me is Verielle, Unamed. We respond to the call."

Almost instantly a large group appeared around them. Each of them wore black leathers and bore the Seal of Ravenholdt. One of them stepped forward and saluted Zek. Zek returned the salute.

"Who is in charge?" he asked the figure.

The figure removed pulled down their hood and mask revealing them to be a human female. The rest of the group did the same - the group was made up of several races. "My name is Kitara, the Spike." she said. "We are the only ones to have arrived so far. As to our leader...you are the only ranking member."

She bowed her head, and the others did the same. Verielle looked at Zek questioningly.

"I'll explain later." he mumbled, then motioned for them all to follow him. They entered the camp - which had been hastily set up - and gathered around a roughly drawn map in the middle on the ground.

"Most of us were in the Plaguelands when the call went out." Kitara explained, motioning to the map. "We haven't been able to make contact with any local agents. It's unknown who sent out the call at this time."

Zek looked at the map for moment. "Kitara - use your badge and contact the Manor. The League mages should be able to find out whose badge sent out the alert. And from where. The rest of you..." he began to draw lines on the map, leading from their camp to the interior of Eversong. "Start a search on these routes. Keep to the ground - whatever we are looking for wouldn't be in the air, or the entirety of the Blood Elf nation would be up in arms."

The group around them nodded in acknowledgement. They dispersed, disappearing into the shadows as they headed towards the nearby border. Zek looked towards the east and saw the sun was beginning to rise. It had been over a day since the original call had gone out.

"Sir," said Kitara. "The manor reports that it was Agent Sadriel whose badge called in. However they cannot find him." she hesitated for a moment. "They can no longer scry his badge."

Zek cursed and Verielle felt ill. She had been afraid that something had happened to Sadriel.

Zek paced back and forth for a few moments. He turned to Verielle. "Veri, head to Tranquillen." he said, handing her a whistle. "Find out anything you can. Try to raise the alarm that there is a missing Silvermoon ranger. I don't know if they'll make much of a fuss over a single missing ranger, but its worth a shot!"

Verielle nodded. She blew on the whistle and the raptor coalesced from the resulting mist. She mounted quickly. Zek reached up and placed his hand over hers. She looked down at him and saw he was looking at her with concern.

_Be careful, Sun Jewel. Please._ he whispered to her. She smiled, squeezed his hand, and nodded. She kicked the raptor and took off into the brush towards Tranquillien.

* * *

Zek watched as Verielle disappeared into the forest. He didn't want to send her off on her own. He knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but that didn't stop him from wanting to protect her. Ruby would tease him mercilessly if she could see him right now. She was exceptionally good at reading him.

He turned his attention back to Kitara. She had watched his and Verielle's exchange with interest, but held back a respectful distance.

"Any more news from the Manor?" Zek asked, walking up to her.

She held her badge in her hand, eyes closed and concentrating as the telepathic magic imbued within it allowed her to speak to the Manor. After a few moments passed, she nodded.

"More aid is coming." she said, keeping her eyes closed.

"What of Master Fahrad?" he asked. "Will he be coming as well?" Master Fahrad had always held a keen interest in large-scale events.

Kitara opened her eyes and cocked her head as she gave Zek a puzzled look. "How long have you been away from the Manor? Master Fahrad was killed several months ago!"

Zek's head snapped up in surprise. Master Fahrad had been killed? How and by whom? He shook his head. There was no time to dwell on such things. "Who did Lord Jaroch appoint to succeed him?"

Kitara shrugged. "No one yet. The Lord has taken over Fahrad's duties." She closed her eyes again to concentrate on using the badge. Zek sat down next to the map with the intent of working on a strategy.

"You love her." Kitara said, breaking his reverie.

Startled, Zek looked up at her with an alarmed expression. Kitara just laughed.

"It's alright. Its more common than you think." she said. "The League tends to turn a blind eye to it." Kitara smiled knowingly at Zek.

Zek sighed and leaned back, looking up into the night sky. "Blind eye or not...it won't work. She's a blood elf. I'm a human. She'll be in the prime of her life when I'm dead and my bones have turned to dust."

Kitara snorted at the man. "Men...always trying to be so noble. Just tell the girl how you feel. Don't make the decision for her. If she feels the same way you do, what does longevity have to do with anything?" She reached into the front of her armor and tossed him something. He caught the object in midair and looked at it. It was a small locket. Opening it, he saw the image of a younger Kitara on one side - and the image of a night elf on the other.

"Zephyrius was centuries older than I was. We still loved each other." she cast her eyes down in sorrow. "I thought we would have the rest of my life together...until the Scourge Invasion. He was killed when the Lich Kings forces attacked Stormwind."

Zek closed the locket and tossed it back to her. She put it away and looked up at him. "Longevity isn't guaranteed. If you love her...tell her. Don't leave the opportunity for regret in your life."

With that, she returned to concentrated on the badge. Zek sat staring at the map. Thinking and pondering.

Almost three hours passed before Kitara shouted for his attention.

"Sir!" she said. "One of my men found something! Some sort of cave that a group of undead are guarding." Kitara walked over to the map and pointed to spot not far to the west. "Here."

Zek nodded. "Stay here, coordinate with any others that arrive. Tell Veri...my apprentice, to stay here when she returns." Kitara nodded.

He pulled out his frostsaber whistle and summoned the riding cat. He quickly mounted and set the cat off in the correct direction, riding as fast as the mount could take him.

Wherever you are, Sadriel, he thought to himself. Hang on!

* * *

_Author's notes: I apologize for the late chapter! Also for how short it is! I am currently in the process of moving to a new house. The move should be completed sometime on Sunday. Next week's chapter may be late also. However, once I get everything squared away I'll try to do a double chapter release one week to make up for it! Thanks for your reviews, keep em coming!_


	8. Chapter 8

Verielle urged her mount forward. She had come to a road about an hour ago - or had it been two hours? She had lost track of time long ago. Long ago she had traveled this very road as part of a caravan that was transporting supplies to Tranquillen and beyond. They had made it Tranquillen safely, but later had not been so lucky. The elf continued her ride until she saw lights in the distance - she had arrived. As she approached the edge of the outpost she saluted the guards. They payed her little attention - they were there to defend against undead, not early morning travelers.

Verielle rode up to into the center of the outpost and saw something wonderful. Here was an entire contingent of Silvermoon City rangers. Tending their dragonhawks, they looked to be preparing for a patrol.

Quickly she dismounted and dismissed the raptor, collecting the summoning whistle. She picked the leader out of the group and headed his way. He wore a captain's uniform and was the only one without a bow. He was inspecting the group and giving things one final check. He raised an eyebrow at Verielle hasty approach.

"Anaria shola, citizen." he stated curtly to the young elf as she reached him.

"Sinu a'menore, captain." Verielle replied, remembering propriety and giving a slight bow. "I come seeking aid. I have reason to believe that a ranger of your order is in dire trouble and needs help."

The captain cocked his head to the side slightly. "Oh? And which ranger would this be?" he asked.

"Sadriel. He is a forward scout.." before she could finish the captain snapped around to the rest of the group.

"RANGERS!" he bellowed. "SADRIEL IS IN NEED OF OUR HELP! MOUNT UP!"

Immediately every ranger in the group leapt up on their dragonhawks and began to take flight, circling overhead as they waited for their leader. He turned back towards a very suprised rogue.

"You must be Verielle." he said, extending his hand to shake hers. "My name is Tharador. Sadriel spoke of you often. Many of my men, myself included, consider Sadriel one of the best rangers in the order." He turned and mounted up his own dragonhawk and motioned for her to join him. "Tell us which way to go and explain things on the way."

Verielle reached up and pulled herself up in the saddle. The dragonhawk gave a screech and took flight. Verielle gave Tharador a heading and the flight turned towards the northwest.

* * *

Zek and his group slowly approached the cave entrance. He had met up with the other two assassins - two orc, Krul and Burg - some time ago. They had opted to approach the cave discreetly.

The cave was nondescript. It had a large opening - the three of them could all enter standing straight side by side, with no problems. It was quite near the river that bordered Eversong woods. Zek could hear the flowing water of the river from here. They approached the entrance carefully, not speaking a word and using hand signals to speak.

It didn't take long for Zek to find the first disconcerting thing. Leading into the cave were hundreds of undead tracks. Someone - or something - had gathered up a large force of undead and had taken it down into this cave. They attempted to get closer when Krul held up his hand. He pointed to a specific spot in the cave. Zek could barely make out the eerie glow of necromantic magic in the eyes of an animated corpse. Sentries.

Zek signaled Krul to get a count. The orc nodded and carefully approached the cave. Even cloaked in shadows there was a chance he would be detected. Zek and Burg maintained a healthy distance away, ready to sprint in should the need arise.

After a few tense moments Krul backed away from the cave. He looked back at Zek with a look of horror on his face.

How many? Zek signed to him.

In response, Krul made a sign that turned Zek's blood cold. In the hand-language used by the Assassin's League, there were only a few signs used to depict large numbers. But there was only one sign that was used to describe a force too large to count. And that was the sign Krul had given. Zek began to string together a series of curses in his head that would have made Verielle blush and Ruby set him on fire. Twice.

Suddenly a guttural howl echoed out of the cave. Krul turned back and began to sprint back towards the others. One of the sentries had spotted the orc. Undead began to pour out of the cave mouth. Zek and the others turned to make a hasty retreat when they realized that unded had begun to spring up from the ground around them.

Too late Zek realized the layout of the area immediately in front of the cave. It was perfect for an ambush - they had walked right into a trap. Their only way out now was to fight.

"Lok'tar ogar, brothers!" Zek yelled, drawing his weapons. "I'll take the zombies. Burg, you take the skeletons and Krul will take the ugly ones!"

"I don't think that's a good idea, boss!" responded Krul gleefully, his lust for battle bolstering him. "We NEED Burg to kill the skeletons!"

Burg smacked Krul on the arm with the flat of his sword. They all laughed heartily and rushed forward to meet the advancing undead horde.

* * *

The flight of dragonhawks was making good time. It was almost midday now and they had almost reached the Ravenholdt camp. Verielle had been leery about giving any details to Tharador, but the elf ranger had not seemed to bother with or care about getting the details from her. In his mind his friend and fellow ranger was in peril and need his help. End of story.

As they flew, Verielle couldn't help but wonder if Zek had been able to find anything new.

One of the rangers suddenly raised a cry of alarm and pointed in the distance. Verielle looked in the direction and smiled. She reached and placed a hand on Tharador's as he was about to signal a command to the flight.

"That's a friendly. Get me closer!" she said.

Tharador nodded. He signaled the flight to stay back and warily steered his dragonhawk towards the circling object.

Ruby, fully refreshed after a nice long regenerative sleep, saw them and watched with caution as they approached. Verielle waved at her and saw Ruby acknowledge her with a dip of her great wings.

"Keep it level!" she said to Tharador. "Follow me once I give the signal!"

"What do you mean, follow you?" Tharador asked and turned his head towards the rogue. He gave a start when he realized that Verielle was no longer in the saddle behind him. Alarmed, he looked down and saw her plummeting to the ground.

As she fell, Verielle hoped that she had given the right signal when she had waved at Ruby. She didn't have to wonder for long, as the drake had already entered in a dive and was streaking towards the falling blood elf. Ruby swooped in and spun, allowing Verielle to grab the saddle on the dragon's back. Another spin and Ruby was upright again, this time with Verielle now securely strapped in. She looked up at Tharador and laughed at his shocked expression. She signaled for him to follow her.

"So what kind of trouble has that brain-dead sack of potatoes who calls himself an assassin gotten himself into now?" Ruby asked, after Verielle had given her directions.

"Your guess is as good as mine!" said Verielle. "He wanted me to get help from Tranquillen. He stayed behind. Apparently he is the highest ranking League member here!"

"Well that settles it then." Ruby said. "They are all doomed."

They both shared a laugh as Verielle saw the camp come into view below. She showed Ruby where to land and the dragon descended. The flight of rangers followed. Verielle wasn't surprised to see the camp deserted when they landed. After all the rangers had landed she called Tharador over.

"For one brief moment I was wondering if you were extremely clumsy or just plain suicidal!" the ranger complained as he approached. He looked Ruby up and down. "Nice dragon."

Ruby chuckled slightly, which earned a confused look from the elf captain. Dragons don't usually "chuckle". Verielle patted her on the neck. "Tharador, have your men stay their weapons for a few minutes. I need to let my...associates know it's safe. Just...stay back." she said sweetly.

Tharador was confused, but nodded his assent. He barked a command to the rest of the rangers who immediately sheathed and put away their weapons.

Verielle stepped towards the camp and held her arms open, as Zek had shown her earlier.

"I am Verielle, Unnamed. Apprentice to Zeklor, the Siphon. I return with aid per his instructions." she called out, hoping she was getting the protocol SOMEWHAT correct. "Kitara, are you there?" she added.

"Very good, apprentice." said a voice behind her. "Most novices just stand there with a stupid look before they remember what they are supposed to do!"

Verielle turned and saw Kitara standing behind her. Surrounding the rangers was a ring of League assassins, having appeared out of nowhere. The rangers looked alarmed, but stayed their weapons. Kitara held up her hand and the assassins all put away their weapons and saluted, then faded back into the shadows.

"I knew it was you when I saw Ruby." Kitara whispered. "But I wanted to test you to see if you would remember protocol. Congratulations, you passed!" Kitara put an approving hand on Verielle's shoulder and walked towards the rangers.

"Captain, thank you for coming to help us. My name is Kitara. I am a representative of Ravenholdt Manor." she said to the elf, holding out her hand.

Tharador raised an eyebrow, but took her hand and shook it. "Well met. No thanks are necessary, we heard one of our own was in trouble and came as fast as we could. I am, however, confused as to why Ravenholdt is involved in a Silvermoon City matter..."

Kitara gave him a warm smile. "It is a simple matter, captain. Lord Jaroch has ties with a few sin'dorei nobles. One of those nobles, who wishes to remain anonymous, owes Ranger Sadriel a few favors. Concerned at his apparent disappearance, the noble asked Lord Jaroch for some...unofficial help...in finding him."

Tharador scratched his chin for a moment and nodded. He knew it was a lie, of course. But the lie told him all he needed to know. The Assassin's League was here to help Sadriel, for whatever reason. He would wring the details out of Sadriel later.

"So, what have you discovered so far?" the ranger asked Kitara.

"Well, Verielle's mentor, Zeklor, went out some time ago to follow-up on a lead that we found. We had not heard from them in some time. More of our representatives have arrived, so we were about to attempt to rendezvous with them at their last known position." Kitara said, vaguely motioning to the west. "However, with you here we may be able to come up with something more efficient."

Tharador nodded. "Sounds good. Verielle, anything you'd like to add?"

They turned towards the young blood elf, who was oblivious to them. Verielle stood, peering off to the west. Ruby was looking in the same direction as well.

"Ruby...did you...?" she asked the dragon.

"Yes, I feel it too." Ruby replied. "Something is wrong. We must go."

Verielle turned back towards the others. "Something is wrong. Zek is in trouble. We need to go find him, now!" she said. She turned and jumped up on Ruby. "Captain, can all of your rangers carry one of Kitara's men?"

Tharador nodded. He barked some orders to his rangers who hastily began to get their mounts ready. Kitara turned and shouted a command as well. Assassins leapt from the shadows and each chose a ranger. Verielle motioned for Kitara to join her on Ruby.

Within minutes they were in the air, heading west.

"What has happened?" Kitara asked Verielle as they flew.

Verielle shook her head. "I don't know...for sure. I just have this terrible feeling. Ruby agrees with me though. Something has happened and Zek needs us."

Kitara said no more. She had often heard stories of the Ravenholdt agent, the Siphon. Much about him was kept secret by the Manor, but if only a tenth of what she had heard was true, then him being in trouble was not a good thing.

* * *

Zek's muscles were on fire. How many hours had he been fighting? He'd had lost track. The sun was high in the sky yet they still fought on. The nature of the Ghostlands prevented the undead from being affected by the sun, even in midday. They came unendingly, two would pop up for every one the trio killed. Krul and Burg were showing signs of exhaustion, but their orcish pride prevented them from giving up. That and the near insatiable blood lust of the orcs. But mostly pride.

The trio fought in a circle, their backs to one another. Covering their flanks they warded off the undead to a near stalemate. However they were still surrounded by undead and growing tired. Undead did not tire. Still they fought on. Zek joined in with the orcs in shouting orcish battle cries - it seemed to bolster them every time. In turn the two orcs would laugh maniacally at Zek's dark jokes.

"How many skeletons does it take to change a light bulb?" Zek yelled over the din.

"I don't know!" responded Krul.

"None! It was built by a goblin and blew up the skeletons!" responded Zek.

It was a terrible joke, of course. But the orcs laughed nonetheless. Zek saw that they were starting to reach a breaking point. They needed a reprieve. Something to give them a few minutes. He had some potions that would revitalize them - but they couldn't stop to drink them during the onslaught. While he fought, he tried to get a better lay of the land. His mind working, he formulated something that might give them a few minutes.

There was a large rock outcropping nearby. If they could fight their way to the high ground, they could hold off the attack long enough for one of them to take some potions. They could then rotate out. Once they were all healed up...well...Zek would cross that bridge when they came to it.

A howl of rage interrupted his train of thought. Burg stumbled back, wounded. A zombie had gotten through his weakened defenses and torn a chunk out of his shoulder. The orc's shoulder had been shattered. Bones and fragments were protruding from the wound. He was bleeding profusely. The zombie had his prize of flesh - the scent of blood seemed to drive the other undead into a frenzy. It was a stroke of luck, however, that the undead all turned towards the zombie. Like a school of sharks they began to fight and claw at each other for a piece of the orc's shoulder.

Zek ran over to Burg, whose arm hung down lifeless. Krul had helped him sit up. Zek grabbed one of this health potions and ripped the stopper off, then poured it down the orc's throat. Some green color returned to his face, but Zek knew it was only temporary. Only divine healing would save the orc at this point.

"Tis but a scratch," Burg said. "Leave me, I'll be fine. Kill those whore-sons."

Krul chuckled. "Easy, brother. Those whore-sons will be full after the finish feasting on your shoulder. Then we just have to wait until they die of poisoning for eating your rotten body!"

The two orcs chuckled. They were brothers-in-arms. To the death.

Zek stood. The undead had finished their frenzy and were starting to turn their attention towards them again. He had no choice. If he didn't do something now - they would all die.

He closed his eyes, and readied himself...it would only take a few minutes to activate...

A roar echoed through the clearing and reverberated on the walls surrounding them. Ruby, enraged at the sight of Zek in trouble, slammed into the ground, knocking everyone - including Zek - off their feet. The crystalline stones on her skin glowed brightly. Shards of ruby-colored rocks sprung up from the ground, impaling countless undead. She roared again and inhaled, then expelled a white-hot blast of fire, reducing countless more undead to ash. With a swipe of her tail she cleared what was left.

From the sky came a chorus of cries. Rains of arrows fell as the rangers of Silvermoon City swooped down and loosed arrows with deadly precision. The assassins they carried with them jumped down and began to cut down undead left and right.

Kitara and Verielle jumped of Ruby - who immediately sprang forward in a rage and began to slaughter more undead. Kitara ran over to Burg and Krul. Verielle ran over and embraced the astonished Zek.

"What have I told you about having fun without me?!" she scolded him playfully as he hugged him, relieved that he was alive.

Zek could only watch in shock. It had been a long time since he had seen Ruby properly enraged. The last time it had happened..."profoundly disturbing" had been the thing he had ever used to describe it.

Within minutes the combined forces of rangers, assassins, and Ruby had reduced the undead force to almost nothing. The few that remained escaped back into the cave. Ruby came back to Zek, shaking zombie giblets off her maw.

"I cannot leave you alone for any length of time, can I?!" she scolded him. "I swear to all that is good and holy I am going to INCINERATE you the next time!"

Zek could only laugh. He sat down on the ground, exhausted but relieved to be in the clear. He had come close to using his ability in front of other members of the League - something he had been forbidden to do by Lord Jaroch. Ruby shook her head as he sat there laughing. "Humans!" she said, and snorted.

Kitara and Krul came up, supported a limping Burg. "We need to get Burg to a healer!" she said. "We've bandaged his shoulder, but he needs a priest!"

Zek nodded. Captain Tharador joined them. "One of my men can take him. Since he's a member of a Horde race we can get him into Silvermoon City. He'll receive better care there."

Kitara nodded. Tharador had a couple of rangers take Burg. They then regrouped around Zek.

"Whatever Sadriel warned us about...it's in that cave." he said, pointing. "We attempted to get a look inside when the zombie horde attacked us. Someone does not want anyone to find out what is in that cave."

Zek reached into his potion belt and pulled out some revitalizing potions. He popped their seals and downed them - feeling refreshed as if he had just had a full nights sleep. He stood and stretched, making sure he hadn't broken anything during the battle.

"Well...time to go spelunking!" he said.

* * *

_Author's notes: Dear God in heaven above do I HATE moving. Boxes...boxes everywhere! At any rate, things have calmed down enough to where I am able to get back to the writing grind, as it were. Thank you everyone for your patience. I have already started work on the next chapter, which will go up on Wednesday. Then I will see if I can get another chapter up after that one to make up for all the lateness!_

_Thanks again for the reviews, I enjoy reading how much you are liking the story!_


	9. Chapter 9

The dark cave stank of undead. Not surprising as it had recently housed what had felt like several hundred of them, thought Zek.

The combined forces of Ravenholdt and the Silvermoon Rangers had entered the cave together. It was a deceptively small cave from the outside - it quickly became an underground labyrinth. Still the walls weren't too narrow for Ruby to slip through. In her natural element she seemed to slip through gaps that seemed impossible for her to fit through. Able to sense the layout of the cave system intuitively she led them through the twisting labyrinth.

As they descended deeper she suddenly stopped and began to peer at the walls.

"What is it?" Zek asked her, as the rest of the group stopped to take their breath.

"This...is unnatural." she said, concentrating on the stones. "Something has made the passageway wider in this area. Not by magic. Almost as if something tunneled through here, very recently." she turned her massive head to look at Zek. "Something is very wrong. It would seem that the tunnel is connecting to another cave system up ahead...and is getting closer to Silvermoon City."

Zek frowned. Even if this cave system reached all the way into the middle of Eversong it would still take an incredible amount of time to tunnel enough to reach the city. Still, it wasn't the worst plan he had ever heard of. The blood elves would never expect an attack to come from underground. No one would probably have noticed the digging.

Except Sadriel.

By now Zek had pieced together some of what had transpired. Sadriel had discovered the undead - and had either been captured or killed, but not before sending out the black level event. He had either been captured or killed. Zek knew the latter was more likely.

"Zek..." Ruby said, peering further down the tunnel. "There is something up ahead. A large cavern...and it reeks of undead!"

Zek pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers and sighed. "Of course it does..." he grumbled. "Can't go five titan-damned minutes, can we?" He turned and walked back to the others. He signaled the Ravenholdt group for silence and pointed down the tunnel. Immediately Kitara and the others donned their hoods and faded into the shadows, following his silent command to scout ahead. He walked over to Tharador.

"Breaks over. Ruby caught the scent of undead up ahead." he told the captain.

Immediately the other rangers began to draw swords and nock arrows. Tharador nodded at Zek and began to issue silent commands of his own to his men. Zek wasn't familiar with the particular set of signals the Silvermoon Rangers used, but he could still make out the gist of it. Tharador lined his forces on the sides of the tunnels. Archers further back and swordsmen up front.

Verielle came up behind him. "How many undead?"

Zek shook his head. "Not sure. Ruby just knows there is a large cavern ahead and can smell them. The others should be back soon." He chuckled. "Hopefully WITHOUT dinner company."

She laughed lightly at the joke. Still Zek could tell that something was worrying her. Probably worrying about Sadriel more than their current situation. The two rogues went and joined Ruby as the rangers took up position behind them. The drake stood stoically, watching the tunnel ahead and occasionally sniffing the air. After several long, tense minutes she cocked her head to the side, listening.

"They're back." she said, moments before Kitara and the other assassins materialized out of the shadows.

"The cavern isn't far ahead. And there is undead there..." Kitara said trailing off. She looked uncertain.

"What's wrong, Kitara?" Verielle asked.

The assassin shook her head. "It's hard to explain. Best you see for yourselves. This way." She motioned down the tunnel.

The group followed and soon entered the cavern. Verielle gasped as they entered. The rangers began to murmur to themselves. Zek just stared.

In the cavern was the largest force of undead they had ever seen - save for the original Scourge Invasion years ago. The cavern was large enough to contain hundreds, if not thousands, of the undead beasts. They stood in rows, filling every square inch of the cave, except for a path through the center. They did not move - the ones nearest them did not even react to them as they entered.

Zek recognized their stature - they were in hibernation. A common tactic used by necromancers to keep a large force of undead in check so they don't lose control.

"Ruby..." he said, pinching the bridge of this nose again. "Why does the Light hate me?"

The dragon snorted. "Your sunny disposition."

Zek sighed and began to scan the crowd. "We need to find the necromancer that is controlling them. Before he takes them out of hibernation."

"ASK, AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!" boomed a voice from above them.

Drawing their weapons, they looked up and saw a group of armor clad individuals appear on a ledge above them. Four blood elves - three men and one woman - whose eyes were glowing with necromantic magic. Zek could see a necromantic rune carved into each of their foreheads.

One of the men stepped forward. The glow in his eyes was brighter than the others, Zek noticed. The others had blank expressions while this one leered at them with contempt. "It would seem that the welcoming party I left at the entrance was not enough to discourage unwelcome visitors. A mistake I will rectify in the future." the necromancer said, his voice echoing throughout the cavern.

The blood elf's eyes seemed to dim slightly and he leapt from the ledge out into the cavern a good distance ahead of the group. As he landed, the undead around him started to come to life.

"Now...what to do with you?" the female spoke up, her face no longer blank. Her eyes were now glowing more brightly - the one that had jumped was standing motionless in the midst of the animating undead.

"Where is Sadriel?" Verielle suddenly screamed. "What have you freaks done with him?!

The female necromancer cocked her head to the side and peered down at them with a bemused look. "Sadriel? Is that who you are after?" she laughed menacingly. "And here I thought I had been found out! Instead of scouting party I find one attempting a rescue."

She gazed down at the group with a calculating glare. "I see members of both the Assassin's League AND the Silvermoon Rangers - both of Sadriel's conflicting allegiances have come together to 'rescue' him. How...quaint." She chanted a spell and a magical gateway appeared. The other two necromancers stepped through the gate - each then appeared on a different ledge, surrounding the group. The female necromancer remained where she was, but her face returned to a blank mask and her eyes dimmed.

"Well, I should commend your efforts." this time it was one of the other men. "So...as a reward for making it this far...I shall show you what you seek!" he laughed wickedly.

Another gateway appeared in front of them. A hooded figured stepped out. Zek took up a defensive posture. The man was clad in black leather armor and carried a sword on his belt. Zek suddenly had a chilling feeling in his gut.

The figure reached up and lowered his hood. Verielle gasped and then cried out in anguish. Sadriel glared at them wordlessly - his eyes bright with necromantic magic and his face covered in dried blood - and carved in to his forehead was a rune of necromancy.

"Well...shit." muttered Zek, under his breath.

The room erupted with movement as the undead began to attack.

* * *

Verielle's heart sank when she saw Sadriel. The kind man she had known had transformed into something grotesque and hideous. Her legs began to grow weak and for a moment she thought she was going to collapse.

"RUBY!" Zek yelled. "CLEAR US A PATH!" The dragon roared in response and unleashed her fiery breath on the undead.

"BROTHERS AND SISTER OF RAVENHOLDT!" Zek cried out. "TAKE TO THE SHADOWS!"

On command, Kitara and the rest of the assassins vanished in clouds of smoke. As undead began to approach the assassins attacked unseen, dropping them in their tracks. Tharador and his men began to fire arrow after arrow, downing even more of the abominations.

The necromancers were not standing by idly. They directed the flow of undead while casting deadly spells. Verielle had to duck and roll out-of-the-way to avoid bursts of lethal magic thrown her way.

"Verielle! To me!" Zek called out. He was facing Sadriel, who had not yet made a move. She ran up behind Zek and felt tears begin to sting in her eyes. Sadriel watched the two of them coldly, not moving.

"I know you're still in there Sadriel. You do not yet have the pallor of undeath yet." Zek said, approaching the ranger with weapons out. "Fight him. Do not give in!"

In response he let loose a feral snarl, drawing his sword and slashing at the assassin. Zek deftly danced around the attack.

"Verielle! Flank him!" Zek commanded, parrying the next few swings. "We need to get him on the defensive!"

Verielle nodded and sprinted around him. Taking her own daggers she attempted to strike at her former friend. The attack was only half-hearted, however, and he easily avoided it. However it had the intended effect - allowing Zek to deliver a kick to his side, sending the elf back.

Verielle met eyes with Zek and he nodded. He knew she couldn't deliver a fatal blow - he just needed her to distract Sadriel so they could keep the upper hand.

Zek lunged forward at the unbalanced range with a flurry of attacks. Sadriel managed to parry most of them - the few that got through didn't appear to have much of an effect. Zek cursed loudly as Sadriel returned blows, hardly phased.

The necromancers' magic was protecting him, Verielle thought.

Ruby roared nearby as a wave of undead began to swarm her. Tharador's men were still near the cavern entrance - but they were cut off from the others by the advancing undead. Verielle looked around and could still see the League members attacking from the shadows.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" screamed the female necromancer. There was a rumbling and a guttural roar. From the opposite end of the cavern giant abominations began to lumber over. Verielle knew if those monsters reached them they would be finished.

"FUCK!" Zek apparently had come to the same conclusion. "RUBY" he yelled. "DO IT!"

Ruby roared and broke free from the undead swarm attacking her. "NO! YOU'LL GET CAUGHT UP IN IT!"

"GODDAMMIT RUBY! IF YOU DON'T DO IT WE'RE ALL FINISHED!" he yelled, jumping to the side to avoid Sadriel's attacks. "WE'LL BE FINE! JUST GO!"

Verielle watched as Ruby somewhat reluctantly leap into the air. She began to glow with elemental magic as she took flight and began to fly straight towards the ceiling. Verielle cried out in alarm thinking Ruby was about to fly head first into the rock - only to fall into incredulous silence as the dragon seemed to melt INTO the stone ceiling.

"THARADOR! KITARA! RETREAT!" Zek bellowed. "GET BACK TO THE SURFACE AND WARN ANYONE YOU CAN!"

No sooner had he finished shouting when the entire room began to shake. Violent tremors shook cavern. Undead began to fall to the ground as the ground began to crack and break open. Giant cracks began to form in the ceiling where Ruby had vanished. As the cracks began to grow Verielle realized it. Ruby was going to make the entire cavern collapse.

"NO!" Shrieked the female necromancer. "YOU FOOL! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Zek parried Sadriel once more and snapped his leg up, delivering a swift kick to the blood elf's head. The ranger fell backwards and Zek turned and ran towards Verielle. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along and they ran for the entrance as the roof began to fall around them. The others had already made it through and had vanished down the tunnel. Verielle and Zek were sprinting for the opening when Zek grabbed Verielle and pulled her back - right as a giant boulder fell in their path, blocking their exit.

Suddenly the floor beneath them gave way and they began to fall. A rock struck Verielle on the head and she slipped into darkness as they fell.

* * *

Zek held on tightly to Verielle as they fell - sliding down the steep slope of the chasm. In hindsight, the contingency plan to collapse the cave system that he had discussed with Ruby in secret may not have been the best of plans. Still, in his defense, he hadn't actually planned to still be IN the cave when they brought it down. Zek held on to Verielle with one arm and pulled out a sword with the other. He jammed it into the soft stone of the chasm wall to slow and control their slide. They slowed and eventually stopped as the chasm wall leveled off.

Zek took a brief look around. They had fallen far - he couldn't even see the top from where they lay. He couldn't see any obvious way up or down from where they were.

We should be safe for the time being, he thought.

He stood up and checked himself and Verielle over. they were both pretty badly scratched up from their descent. He pulled a potion out of Verielle's belt and tilted her head back, pouring the elixir in her mouth.

"Just like old times..." he said quietly, smiling. He watching as the healing draught restored the color to her face and healed her scrapes. He set her back down on the ground gently. He brushed stray hair from her face and kissed her on the forehead gently. She stirred in her sleep but did not wake.

"We will find a way to save him, Sun Jewel." He whispered to her. "I promise."

He laid down next to Verielle and held her close. His own exhaustion was starting to get the better of him, and he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Tharador stared grimly at the pile of rubble blocking the tunnel. They had barely managed to escape the cave-in.

"What does that bastard of a human think he's doing? He could have killed us all!" he grumbled, kicking a few of the stones.

"That 'bastard' probably just saved us and all of Silvermoon." said Kitara, walking up to him. "He may have put us in danger by collapsing the cavern, but don't forget - he's STILL in there."

Tharador sighed. He knew she was right. The undead forces were now trapped under tons of rock and debris. He turned towards the assassin. "What now? Will Ravenholdt pursue this matter further? Sadriel seems lost to us."

Kitara turned and looked back at the others. She had lost a few in the attack. Those that survived the onslaught had all made it out before the collapse. "More Ravenholdt forces are coming. When they arrive..." she turned back towards the elf "We will attempt to rescue Zeklor and his apprentice."

Tharador nodded. "I'll take my men back to Silvermoon and return with reinforcements." He turned back towards the rubble. "Hopefully we won't return too late."


	10. Chapter 10

"Zek...ZEK!" came a voice, rousing the assassin from his deep reverie. "Zek! Wake up!"

Zek blinked as he slowly came to. Peering at him were two glowing green eyes. Verielle. He shot her a half-smile smirk. "Didn't I tell you not to wake me up before breakfast is ready?"

She flicked him on the nose. "Make your own damn breakfast." she said. She blushed slightly. "Um...Zek. Not that I mind it...but we need to get moving...so could you let me go?"

Only then did Zek realize he still had one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. And THEN he realized where his hand was resting...or grasping, as the case may be. Verielle giggled quietly as the rogue blushed and obliged her, allowing her to get up. The pair got up and began to take measure of their situation. Verielle's weapons were both intact. Zek had lost a dagger but still had both swords. They were both out of healing potions and had nothing in the way of rations.

"How long have we been down here?" Verielle asked, as she stretched out her stiff muscles.

Zek reached into his armor and retrieved his Ravenholdt insignia. He closed his eyes and once more suppressed his talent once more and tapped into the insignia's enchantment. After a few moments, he was able to contact Kitara.

_Zeklor, thank the Light! Are you alright? _she asked.

_We're fine. Both of us. We both passed out from exhaustion after the cave in. What's the current situation?_

_Tharador and the rangers left several hours ago - ever since the cave-in. They were heading to Silvermoon City to get reinforcements. We stayed behind to watch the area for them. Other agents have arrived. We weren't certain if had survived._

Good, Zek thought. At least they haven't assumed all was finished. Most likely the necromancer was still alive, but trapped below with them.

_What about Ruby? Has she surfaced yet?_

_No, we have not seen her. We assumed she was trapped below._

That was to be expected. After pulling that particular stunt of hers it could take upwards of half a day for her to recover her strength and reconstitute herself. Draconic magic was strange. Especially the elemental variety.

_Verielle and I will keep searching. Stay on guard, I don't think we've seen the last of the necromancer. Attempt to contact me once Tharador returns._

Zek received her affirmation and terminated the link, then relaxed. Suppressing his ability for long period of times took immense effort - he didn't want overexert himself. He would have to show Verielle how to use the insignia.

"We've been down here for several hours," he said, tossing the insignia to Verielle. "The others made it out safely. Tharador went to get help from Silvermoon and the rest of the agents are staying vigilant above."

Verielle looked the insignia over. "What do you want me to do with this?"

"Hang on to it. Let me know if it gets hot. Keep it next to your skin."

She put away the insignia and Zek began looking at their surroundings. They were on the small ledge, darkness below and darkness above. His eyesight was good in the dark, but not THAT good. "First thing we need to do is find a way out of here. We have to find that necromancer - and Sadriel."

"But there is only two of us...and four of them! Five if we can't get through to Sadriel." Verielle said, casting her eyes down and fighting back tears.

"There's only one necromancer. He just happens to have a plethora of bodies at his disposal." Zek said, as he reached into his belt pouch and pulled out two thick-walled vials. He broke open their stoppers and began to mix the contents together, pouring them between the two containers.

"What do you mean?" Verielle asked, watching him work.

"During the fight, only one of them spoke at a time." Zek said, continuing to mix. As he worked, the contents began to emit a pale glow. He continued, "When one was speaking, it actually had facial expressions and mannerisms. Then a different one began to speak, the previous one changed completely. Also, only the speaking one would use magic." He held the vials up and made sure their contents were equally distributed and began to put the stoppers back in. "Are you familiar with liches?"

Verielle scowled and spit on the ground. "Of course."

"Normally, when a necromancer becomes a lich, they are granted control over an undead body. Normally it's their own. However...I think our friend here is special. You saw those glowing runes on their foreheads?"

Verielle nodded.

"Necromantic runes. I'm not familiar with that exact rune. But I suspect it acts as an anchor of sorts. Allows him to freely control the body. In this case - four of them."

"But...Sadriel had a rune carved into his forehead too. Does that mean...?" she trailed off, her voice filled with worry.

Zek shook his head. "Not necessarily. Sadriel is still alive. Living and breathing. The other four are corpses. Whatever has been done to Sadriel, I think his mind is still in there, but the necromantic rune is keeping him under the necromancers control. You'll notice that not once did the necromancer speak through him. I think because Sadriel is alive, the only think the necromancer can only use him as a weapon - not a vessel."

"But...why would the necromancer split himself into four different bodies? Wouldn't that be difficult to control?" Verielle asked, thoroughly confused.

Zek watched as the vials began to glow brighter and brighter. "Yes and no. I think he enchanted the bodies with base animating magic. Allowing them to and move independently. It's actually quite smart. He has four different vessels. He can freely jump between them to confuse his opponents. And it prevents him from having to escape into his phylactery if his physical form is destroyed. He can then just jump to the next body."

The vials were now glowing brightly, illuminating the entire are. "I think it also gives him the added bonus of being able to control more undead. Even if he isn't controling the body directly, he can still use it as a beacon of sorts - broadcasting his willpower to the undead its vicinity."

He passed Verielle one of the glowing vials. He dropped the other over the side and watched it fall. It was barely visible when it hit the bottom. Going down wasn't an option. He glanced around in the light from Verielle's vial. To his relief, he saw a path to the side that seemed stable. It was barely wide enough for them, but it was better than nothing.

"So how do we free Sadriel from the necromancer's control?" Verielle asked as Zek took the vial back from her.

"I don't know, Veri." he said quietly. "But we won't find the answer here. Let's go." He motioned for her to follow him and the started down the narrow path.

The pair found that the narrow path soon led to another tunnel, which seemed to lead them deeper into the labyrinth. However they WERE heading in the upwards direction, much to Verielle's relief. Zek had taken point ahead of her and walked slowly but deliberately, holding the glowing vial up, casting its light into the tunnel ahead. She was always surprised at how resourceful he was. Most alchemists tended to stick to the basics of the trade - few that she had heard of had aspired to create as many unique things as Zek had.

Zek held a nad up suddenly and cocked his head to the side. He quickly put the vial in his belt pouch, casting the tunnel into darkness. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side, behind a large rock formation.

The got out of sight just as a large undead lumbered into view from around the corner. Accompanying it was a smaller figure - the necromancer.

Or one of his bodies, Verielle realized. The features on its face were blank. It walked forward with confidence, but its face was a blank mask with no reactions. The abomination stopped and peered down the tunnel that she and Zek had just come from.

"Stay here." commanded the body. It's voice was hollow and dead. It lacked inflection and accent. "Attack anything that attempts to pass." It turned and headed back from where it came, disappearing around the bend.

Zek motioned for Verielle to follow him. The quickly took to the shadows in pursuit.

* * *

Zek groaned inwardly as he looked around the ruined remains of the cavern. Once it had held a massive undead army poised to strike at Silvermoon City. With the collapse, the undead forces had been reduced to a mere fraction of what they were. But they were still grossly outnumbered.

The necromancer sat on a pile of rubble, obviously infuriated at the situation. His bodies were roaming through the undead, organizing them. Zek could make out Sadriel's cloaked figure standing near the necromancer's sitting form. He motioned for Verielle to follow him and ducked behind a rock and sat down. He signed for Verielle to keep watch and then took up his thinking position.

Ruby always said it made him look like he was trying to "expel a hangover from the wrong end" when he did it. She teased him endlessly but even she begrudgingly admitted he came up with some very...interesting...plans when doing.

He leaned forward while sitting and rested his head down on his palms, whispering quietly to himself as he thought.

Cave in. No way out. Surrounded by undead. And a beautiful elf. Fucking stop with the elf Zek, worry about her later. Necormancer, five bodies. Four dead, one living. Living may not be fully under his control. Only one body at a time can use magic. Others corral the undead. Think. Assets: beautiful elf, my ability, element of surprise, gorgeous elf, and potions. No healing potions, one "Ruby" potion. A few miscellaneous odds and ends. Some holy water...

He snapped his head up. Holy water...

He reached into his pouches and found the holy water. It wasn't much - meant to be a component more than anything. However...he did have a few extras he could use.

Quickly, he pulled out a few extra components and began to mix a concoction. Normally he liked to work on new ideas in the comfort of a laboratory. Buy hey, he thought, beggars and choosers.

Finally he was satisfied with his creation. He turned to Verielle, who had glanced over at him with interest and motioned for her to join him.

"Take this. When I give the signal, thrown it at my feet." he whispered in her ear, handing the potion bottle to her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, eyeing the sparkling liquid.

He closed her hand over the bottle and held her hand for a moment. Verielle looked up at him and blushed.

"I'm about to do something very stupid." he said quietly, hoping his nervousness didn't show. "I don't know how this is going to turn out. Whatever happens, I want you to promise me something."

She nodded her head slowly. "Find Ruby. Take care of her. And...tell her I said for her to take care of you." he said. He let go of her hand and took a step back. He winked, then jumped up on a nearby rock, putting himself into plain view.

"Alright, you two-copper necromancer!" he yelled. Glowing eyes turned towards him. When they saw him they started burning with intense hatred. "You and I have some unfinished business. Release my friend from whatever control you are exerting over him and I'll let you live. Or continue un-living. Whatever it is liches do."

The necromancer jumped into the body nearest to him. Zek saw the body's eyes flare brightly. Its face contorted into a look of pure rage.

"YOU!" he bellowed. "Months of planning! WASTED!" He curled his fingers towards Zek and let loose a bolt of necromantic energy. Zek easily dodged and began sprinting towards the infuriated wizard. Snarling, the necromancer made a quick motion with his hands. Instantly undead began to move and chase after Zek. Zek nimbly dodged through them evading tooth and claw. Soon a bulk of the undead force had him surrounded.

Unfortunately for them, it was exactly what Zek wanted. "VERIELLE, NOW!" he shouted.

The elf jump up from her hiding spot an hurled the potion at him. It sailed over the heads of the undead monsters and landed at his feet, shattering. As soon as the concoction inside was exposed to air, a thick cloud of smoke spewed forth. In mere moments Zek and the undead were enveloped in the thick haze. All around him the undead started to wail and shriek. The fog - permeated with holy water - ate away at their flesh and the enchantments that bound them together. A few at the edges were able to escape unscathed, but a bulk of the force had been destroyed. Zek stood in the center of the chaos, admiring his handy work.

"Well...shit." he said. "That actually worked."

A bolt of necromantic energy slammed into the ground next to him and he lept aside. The necromancer had been furious before - but now Zek could see he was redefining "enraged".

"KILL! KILL HIM!" the undead sorcerer shrieked.

Here it comes, Zek thought.

Sure enough, Sadriel came rushing towards him. Zek quickly popped the clasp on his cloak - it would only inhibit his movement - and brought his blades to bear. Sadriel came in fast, slashing at his chest. Zek knocked the sword back and forced the elf back with a low feint. He stepped back as Sadriel took up a guarded stance. He took a close look at the elf's eyes - the glowed with necromantic magic. Not as bright as the other bodies, even when not actively possessed, so that was a good sign.

Now for the fun part. Zek thought.

"Verielle! Distract the others!" Zek called out. He couldn't see her - she had taken to the shadows. However he saw one of the bodies crumple to ground - even undead could be incapacitated.

He lept forward and attacked Sadriel. The elf parried the attack and responded with his own. Their blades clashed, echoing brightly across the cave. The sparks from their strikes flashed in the dim lighting. Zek pushed Sadriel on the defensive. He didn't want to kill him if he didn't have to. If only he could figure out how to disrupt the necromancer's control.

Nearby there was a howl of rage. Zek stole a quick glance and saw a second body had been taken care of. Two down - two to go. Verielle had ambushed the necromancer in one body and had forced out to another - taking advantage of the switch to cripple the body he had left. The necromancer was randomly blasting the area with magical attacks, trying to flush her out. Zek didn't have much time. He ducked to the side as Sadriel slashed at his face. Instinctively Zek brought his blade up as well, catching the elf's hood and exposing his mangled face, with the glowing necromantic rune.

The rune...Maybe...just maybe! Zek thought.

Stepping forward he launched into a brutal assault. He came at Sadriel with the intent to kill...nothing less would force Sadriel to put his defenses up. Zek launched a dizzying attack, slashing and stabbing at the elf with speed and precision. He brought one sword down on the knee while simultaneously stabbing and elbow. He ducked under Sadriel's counter attack, spun, and slashed up his back. He dropped to his knees right as the expect backhanded slash came around and when Sadriel's arm extended - Zek brought both blades up like scissors - severing the arm. There was a loud clang as the elf's sword hit the ground. He shrieked in pain - the first real sound Zek had heard him make. Quickly, before he could recover, Zek swept the elf's legs out from underneath him, sending him to the ground on his back. His head slammed into the ground and stunned him. Zek then brought his sword to bear for the killing blow.

Only to pull his hand back at the last second - instead of severing the elf's neck, Zek brought the sword across Sadriel's forehead, slicing through the rune.

The necromancer suddenly howled in both anger and pain. The feedback from the rune's destruction had been unexptected. There was a flash as the magic dispelled - the eerie undead glow in Sadriel's eyes faded. The elf cried out in sudden pain as the necromancer's magic left his body, leaving him in control once more. Gripping the stump of his severed arm, he rolled around the ground in agony.

"SADRIEL!" Verielle cried, appearing from the shadows and running over. Zek looked around quickly - the necromancer was doubled over in pain, stumbling away from them in the opposite direction.

"Sadriel.." Verielle said, putting her hand on her friend's face. "Are you there...can you hear me?"

"Verielle?" he gasped. "What...where am I?"

"You're in a cave system under Eversong. You were taken by the enemy. We've saved you." Zek said, sheathing his weapons. He glanced at the severed arm laying a few feet away. "Well...most of you..."

"Siphon...is that you?" Sadriel said, glancing up at the man. Zek nodded at him and took a knee.

"You're badly wounded." Zek told him. "The enemy's magic was keeping your body sustained. I don't know how much longer you can survive. We have to get you out of here." He reached down and went to pick up the elf. "Verielle, help me pick him up. We need to get out of here before the necro regains his senses."

Verielle nodded and grabbed Sadriel's arm to help. She never saw the blast hit her.

A bright flash of necromantic energy slammed into chest and hurled her backwards. Zek cried out in alarm. Across the cavern, the necromancer stood, snarling. He began to stumble his way back to them - along with his last remaining body.

Zek laid Sadriel back down and sprinted over to Verielle's fallen form. The blast of power had scorched her armor and burnt her skin. He looked her over - the armor had absorbed the brunt of the attack, but she was still badly wounded.

"Verielle...no...stay with me...STAY WITH ME!" he cried, picking her up. Her eyes fluttered and she came around.

"Zek..." she whispered.

Zek began to cry. This couldn't be happening. She had trusted him. He had let her down.

Verielle weakly reached up with her hand and placed it on his face. Zek looked down at her and she smiled.

"I'm glad I found you Zek." she whispered. She winced in pain and dropped her hand. Zek carefully set her down and propped her up on a rock.

"Lay still. We'll get you out of here." he said, standing up.

Zek was tired. He was angry. So very, very angry. The necromancer had pushed him to the brink. It was time to push back. To the nether with his orders.

"NECROMANCER!" he bellowed, drawing his swords.

The necromancer had reached them. His face was twisted into an evil grin. "So...all it took was to kill the little girl. A pity. I supposed I will have to keep you alive...so you can fight her after I turn her!" he chuckled wickedly. "Or...I suppose I could kill you now. You would make a fine specimen to use for experiments!"

Zek said nothing...he only closed his eyes.

"Ho...giving up already?" taunted the necromancer.

Zek normalized his breathing. Reaching deep within himself, he visualized the restraints that he put on his ability, keeping in check. He thought of Verielle, laying on the ground dying behind him. And of Sadriel, dying if not already dead. He tore those restraints free.

The necromancer hurled a lethal bolt of energy at Zek. The bolt slammed into his chest. The energy of the bolt began to twist and curl around his body seeking to consume him. The necromancer began to laugh, only to choke in shock as the energy began to fade away.

Zek opened his eyes, now glowing bright blue as his body absorbed the magical power.

"My name is Zeklor the Siphon, Master Assassin of the League, beholden to Ravenholdt." he proclaimed, taking up a fighting stance. "Your executioner."

He lept forward.

* * *

_Author's notes: My sincerest apologies for the long wait. Writer's block + lots of work associated with the move. Next chapter: the full extent of Zek's ability will be revealed!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Note: This is a short chapter. I was a dumb ass and burnt my hand playing with fireworks last night, so I couldn't finish this chapter to my liking. But I didn't want to make everyone wait again, so I decided to publish what i had so far. Enjoy!_

* * *

Verielle was in shock. Maybe more from the injuries she had sustained from the necromancer's attack, but a great deal from what she was witnessing now.

She had tried to warn Zek but no words had come out. He had turned to face the necromancer but had dropped his guard. The necromancer hit him with a powerful blast that should have killed him.

But it didn't.

Verielle watched in both shock and awe as the necromantic energies twisted around Zek, the rogue standing there not moving. The energies waned and disappeared as his body had...consumed was the only word for it! Zek's body had soaked up the power like a sponge did to water.

Zek had immediately jumped forward and was attacking the necromancer with a flurry of attacks. His speed was intense...and he was getting faster!

She watched the fight unfold in front of her...baffled as to what was going on.

* * *

The restraints had been torn free. His ability was running rampant - unchecked. And Zek didn't care. His body was not longer just absorbing directed energy, he could feel it starting to drain away the magics in the surrounding area. The necromancer's enchantments were starting to fade. With every second that passed the necromancer grew weaker...and Zek grew stronger.

Zek himself didn't completely understand his abilities. When he had been just a babe, his parents had left him in the care of Ravenholdt. From what little Zek had been able to find out about his past, he had discovered some elvish heritage - not enough for his features to be any less than human...but an interesting trait had developed in him. One that allowed him to absorb, siphon, and leech magical energies around him into his body. This magical power then fueled his own body, given him enhanced speed, reflexes, senses, and strength. The energy also rejuvenated him, healing him from even the most dire of wounds.

Ravenholdt had forbidden him from using his ability around others. He was a valuable asset to the League. The Siphon. He could not be killed with arcane magic. Zeklor was the perfect assassin to use against mages and their ilk. The League had made a small fortune on marks to kill mages. They commanded a high price for his services and were afraid that if it was ever revealed and made common knowledge, they would lose that advantage.

He pressed his attacks. He bobbed and weaved around the body defending its master. It slashed forward with an attack - Zek's enhanced speed and reflexes made it seem like it was hardly moving. He raked his blades across the body's chest several times before it could swing its sword. All the while Zek's ability was eating away at the magic that animated it. It began to stumble and move less smoothly. With a simple effort of will, Zek "flared" his ability and the last remaining magic contained within it was pulled out. In mid-stride it collapsed into a heap on the ground. Zek stepped over the fallen body and proceeded to walk towards the necromancer.

The man hissed at Zek then unleashed a flurry of magical attacks. Some dissipated before even reaching Zek - the rest were absorbed by Zek when the struck his body. Zek felt a surge of renewed vigor as the magical energies bolstered him and calmly walked towards the necromancer, sheathing his swords and pulling out his daggers. The wizard stumbled back, using any spell he could think of. Fireball. Frostbolt. Cone of Cold. A myriad of spells began to strike Zek. Each one soaked into his body as if it were a sponge - not a single one marring his body.

Zek leapt through the shadows and began to launch a rapid series of attacks on the necromancer. His daggers punched through the armor as if it were parchment. He slashed at the undead's joints, severing not only the armor's bindings, but also the body's tendons. Armor fell to the floor in a crash, broken beyond repair by Zek's vicious assault.

But he didn't stop there. He bobbed and weaved around the necromancer, punching holes in his body with attack after attack. The necromancer was already defeated - Zek wanted him to suffer. He nicked away at the body, leaving it covered with a sordid variety of puncture wounds and slashes, dripping with a mixture of blood and undead ichor. The enchantments that dulled the body's senses had long worn out, making the necromancer feel the full effect of every stroke. With each blow his cries gradually changed from rage to sheer agony. Finally Zek slashed low, cutting the hamstring muscles on of the necromancer's legs.

The necromancer fell to his knees, gasping in both shock and pain. Zek would have been hard pressed to find a spot on the body that had NOT have a wound on it. The necromancer was covered with blood and ichor, and it was pooling up on the ground where he kneeled.

"No...this cannot be!" he said with a raspy voice. The magics sustaining his last body were slow to drain - as long as the soul remained within. "Impossible. Such a thing is IMPOSSIBLE!" The last word emphasized with a shriek that echoed throughout the caves.

Zek sheathed his daggers and drew his swords once more. He placed the flat of the blades on the necromancer's shoulders.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" the wizard shrieked.

"I am Zeklor, the Siphon. Lost Son of the Kirin Tor." he says, cryptically. "And you...Are. No. More." Emphasizing each word, Zek drew both blades across the undead's neck, severing skin, muscle, and bone. The decapitated head fell to the floor, blood and ichor spreading out in a pool as it leaked out - locked in a defiant glare at Zek - until he brought his foot down upon it, crushing it with a sickening crunch under his boot. Zek felt one last surge of power in his body as the last of the necromancer's magics faded - the ones bonding his soul to the undead flesh.

Satisfied, Zek closed his eyes and visualized his power: a dark hole with wisps of magical power being drawn into it. He then visualized the restraints he had torn free: a tight net, woven in place over the dark hole, blocking it from pulling anything in.. As the ability went dormant, the flow of power to his body ebbed and his senses returned to normal. A wave of exhaustion passed over him and he almost fell to his knees. He always hated this part. While his body could convert and use arcane energy for long periods of time, after he cut off the flow of power his body would go into withdrawals. The longer he kept his ability active the longer he would suffer the withdrawal symptoms. He knew better than to reactivate his ability - the last time he had tried to use it to that extent multiple times he put himself in a coma for near a month. Ruby hadn't been happy.

He turned and half walked, half stumbled back over to Verielle. She was staring at him with a look of wonder on her face. Her wounds looked bad - but not as bad as they had been. Zek's ability had absorbed the residual magic contained within her wounds and were now somewhat normal and no longer life-threatening. Zek glanced over at Sadriel - the elf was pale and hardly breathing. He stumbled over to the fallen elf and kneeled next to him.

"Glorious..." Sadriel whispered quietly, barely able to talk. "I was able to see it with my own eyes - the Siphon of Ravenholdt."

"Sadriel...I'm...I'm sorry." Zek said, his voice clouded with grief. "I thought we could save you. We tried..."

Sadriel shook his head. "It was too late for me...my body had already been ravaged by that necromancer's foul magic. Even had I survived the tainted energies would have eaten away at me in due time." He turned his head towards Verielle, who was weeping nearby.

"Protect her, Zeklor." he whispered. "She is like family to me...the last I will ever know. Give me your word that you will die protecting her if it comes to it."

In response, Zek placed his hand over his heart and nodded. Satisfied, Sadriel closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, then stopped completely.

* * *

Tears flowed freely from Verielle's eyes as the full weight of Sadriel's death hit her. They had failed. Sadriel was dead and it was their fault. She began to cry, her sobs echoing through the chamber.

And then Zek was there. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly as she cried into his chest. He stroked her hair and whispered quietly to her, soothing her.

_It''s alright, Sun Jewel. _he whispered to her in Thalassian. _His suffering is over. We did save him...from a fate worse than death._

Verielle looked up at Zek, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. She couldn't help herself. She reached up and pulled him down to her, and their lips met. Zek was surprised at first but did not resist, returning the embrace. Verielle held on to him tightly for several more minutes before she could look him in the eyes again, and was met with one of his goofy grins.

_What? _she asked, trying to sound irritated.

_Nothing...I was just thinking about how much of a scolding Ruby is going to give me for making you cry._

She smiled. _To be fair...YOU didn't make me cry...but I doubt that will stop Ruby._

_You know her so well!_

The two of them laughed quietly, holding hands. There was a shuffling sound nearby and some rocks clattering. Zek snapped his head up and peered in the direction the sounds had come from. A look of horror crossed his face.

"Zek...?" Verielle whispered.

"Oh god-fucking-damn it!" Zek cursed. "Why didn't I think of that BEFORE I killed that thrice-damned son of a bitch!"

"Zek..what is it? What's wrong?"

"I just realized...a large portion of the undead weren't destroyed by the cave in...they were just buried by it. They are just laying under the rubble...dormant."

He turned and looked at her with a look mixed with both panic and amusement. "And I just killed the thing that was KEEPING them dormant!"

As if on cue, there was a loud crash as several undead broke free from the rubble and climbed out to the surface. It snarled and growled as it began to seek out something to kill. More undead began to spring up all over the cavern.

Zek grabbed Verielle and helped her up. She winced in pain but offered no protest. Together they took to the shadows and made their way down an adjacent tunnel.

* * *

_Author's Note: So there we have it! Next update will either be a: a longer chapter 12, or b: an update to chapter 11 with an immediate chapter 12 release. Also, I want to do a Q&A. PM me any questions you have about me or the story and I'll post the responses! Don't forget to review! I'll be back as soon as my second degree burns on my hand heal up!_


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